Introducing the ‘Beyond Purdue’ Newsletter for Modern ICS Professionals
If you’ve worked in industrial control systems anytime in the last 30 years, you’ve heard of the Purdue Model.
Created in the 1990s at Purdue University, this layered architecture gave structure to the chaos of industrial environments. It separated physical processes from business systems. It helped define where operations ended and enterprise began.
For its time, it was groundbreaking. But here’s the problem: We’re still using it.
And in 2025, it’s holding us back.
Who Beyond Purdue Is For
This newsletter is built for professionals across all layers of industrial operations who are tired of legacy thinking and ready to modernize securely
- CEOs who want real alternatives to the big OEMs — without losing control or compliance
- CTOs and CISOs struggling to secure outdated systems in a world that demands cloud, VPN, and compliance
- CFOs who need trustworthy data to generate accurate financial reports and invoices
- Maintenance teams who need reliable insights and secure remote access for contractors and service partners
- DCS Engineers fighting to keep critical systems stable without being forced into unrealistic patch cycles by IT
- Anyone responsible for keeping control systems operational, safe, and future-proof
🔧 The Limitations of Purdue Model Are Real
The Purdue Model was built in a world that looked very different:
- Cybersecurity wasn’t a threat — because connection speeds were in bits per second
- Cloud didn’t exist — the biggest storage device was a floppy disk
- Air gaps were standard — and USB wasn’t even invented yet
- Data stayed where it was born — transferring it was nearly impossible
Fast forward to today, and we’re operating in a completely different reality:
- We stream data across continents
- We run predictive analytics in AWS
- We ensure security with one-way diodes, not firewalls
- And we don’t just need “segmentation”—we need resilience, context, and control
The model didn’t age badly—it just wasn’t built for this.
What Comes Next: Beyond Purdue
That’s why I’m launching Beyond Purdue — a new kind of newsletter, focused on real transformation in the world of ICS and DCS.
Not buzzwords. Not theory. Just what actually works.
You’ll find:
- Secure architectures for OT/IT data transfer
- Real case studies from power stations, refineries, and solar plants
- Commentary on the death of the air gap — and what replaces it
- Fresh thinking on business continuity in critical infrastructure
- Lessons from 25+ years of working hands-on in this space
💡 A Final Thought
We don’t need to destroy the Purdue model. We need to evolve beyond it.
And that starts here.
👉 Follow me and subscribe to Beyond Purdue to join the conversation.
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