For industrial control systems, for example, if you’re just using network monitoring to discover vulnerabilities or other security issues, you’re probably only seeing about 50% of your converged IT-OT attack surface. Securing Operational Technology is a paramount concern for energy and utility companies, given the increasing reliance on digital systems and networks. With critical infrastructure and essential services relying heavily on interconnected systems and networks, energy and utility companies must implement best practices to safeguard their OT environments. Another cultural challenge in utilities is the “don’t touch the internet” mentality.

Our OT cyber risk management platform helps utility companies protect their assets, manage their OT data, and automate compliance reporting. Invest in OT-specific security training for employees and contractors. Real-time monitoring is your eyes and ears—don’t fly blind. And if you’re still using single-factor authentication in 2025, you’re basically leaving your front door wide open. Think of it like spring cleaning for your network—you can’t secure what you don’t know exists.

Some industry specific examples would be, supervisory control data acquisition (SCADA) systems, metering and billing systems, geographic Information Systems (GIS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, or cybersecurity systems. Energy and Utilities information technology (IT) asset refers to any technology-related item or system used within the energy and utilities industry to manage, monitor, or control energy and utility infrastructure. The energy and utilities industry faces unique cybersecurity challenges due to the convergence of IT and OT, legacy infrastructure and increasing cyber threats. HCLTech 360° SecureOT framework offers end-to-end OT security solutions specifically tailored for the energy and utilities industry. While this roadmap is specific to Massachusetts, https://scivast.com/articles/understanding-mcl-water-testing-importance-impact/ as an early mover in developing various pathways and sector analysis, the Commonwealth’s approach may provide a framework for other…

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Though it’s not a complete overlap, integration of certain systems and methodologies is necessary to optimize the https://texas-news.com/how-to-succeed-as-the-owner-of-your-own-transport-business-in-2023.html technology. In addition, the data generated from OT systems like controls for substations now must be sent into IT environments. Battery energy storage system (BESS) projects are perfect examples of the complex deployments utilities are dealing with.

The widespread use of third-party contractors, vendors, and suppliers introduces additional vulnerabilities. Mr. Conn has more than 27 years of experience with utilities, including control centers, customer service, metering and information technology. Mr. Kukuljica has more than 25 years of experience in the implementation of utility control systems worldwide. In addition, strategic partnerships with leading technology vendors allow us to offer best-in-class solutions while maintaining vendor neutrality. Taking a holistic approach, our practitioners design client-specific, mission-based solutions using tested and proven delivery best practices. With over 50 years of experience in power delivery engineering and 30+ years in advanced energy program design, TRC offers clients deep utility operations knowledge combined with cutting-edge IT/OT expertise.

Common vulnerabilities

• If you’re a plant operator, you may be looking at one dashboard showing you how your plant is performing.
• For example, in the energy and utilities industry, a digital twin of a power plant can be created using data from sensors and control systems.
• Most industrial networks don’t have automated asset or vulnerability discovery or management.
• Having a platform that can weave these essential practices into everything we do and how we do it is imperative to our long term growth and sustainability in the energy and utilities vertical.

When you start introducing open architecture servers into OT environments, new pathways become available for malicious actors to gain access into systems that control physical components that are used to manage the grid. For many utilities, the planning and design required to integrate technology solutions can be misdirected, resulting in costly programs that either do not deliver optimal results or will become completely unsustainable over time. The power grid is moving toward a future in which it will become a highly integrated system, requiring technical architecture and standards that focus on feasibility, sustainability and security. Regulators and policymakers are adamant that people of lower economic means must not face unaffordable electric bills. One can start to analyze the cost of actions against the level of risk reduction and find that “Goldilocks” balance.

Energy and Utilities operational technology (OT) assets refer to the physical devices and systems that are used to monitor, control, and manage energy and utility infrastructure in real-time. I think the first place to start is understanding the differences between these assets, so let’s start there. We leverage AI-powered automation and real-time cyber risk intelligence so that energy and utility organizations can secure critical infrastructure, protect national security and ensure uninterrupted energy distribution.

As utilities progress on their convergence journey, the significance of developing robust human resource capabilities cannot be understated. This integration unlocks new opportunities for efficiency, sustainability, and enhanced customer experiences. This advanced level of technical support helps to ensure faster response times and resolution to your questions and issues. You should receive a confirmation email shortly and one of our Sales Development Representatives will https://compitionpoint.com/choosing-industrial-sewer-specialists-key-considerations-and-competitive-advantages/ be in touch. You should receive a confirmation email shortly and one of our representatives will be in touch.

• Energy and utility companies should enforce strict access control policies, ensuring only authorized personnel can access critical systems and data.
• Our energy and utilities strategic leaders are thinking out of the box on how best to manage these challenges.
• But, the increasing number of benefits for connected OT devices is moving many organizations away from that practice.
• It is also important that every employee has a laser focus on the impacts of these environmental and social responsibilities so we can build a world wide culture of responsibility and environmental accountability.
• Create and manage a complete asset inventory, automatically quantify risk and monitor for vulnerabilities on-demand.

While security teams have granular control, the ability to audit access, and additional levels of security, such as password vaulting, to enforce stringent security hygiene and mitigate risk. Learn how to best integrate and effectively manage these resources to maximize benefits to… ScottMadden’s Cristin Lyons joined SNL in 2013 to provide an interactive webinar focused on transmission development. In this report, we discuss several challenges to transmission development in detail, and we offer a few examples of successes and potential paths forward. Absent major policy changes, transmission development will be a significant obstacle to an orderly clean energy transition. If you’re curious to learn about inventory optimization practices and performance metrics, this report includes a summary of ScottMadden and Oniqua’s survey results—some expected and some surprises.

Nokia’s Data Center Fabric facilitates faster data exchange and enhanced operational efficiencies, making it the foundation of a reliable and adaptive grid. Nokia’s Utility OT Cloud infrastructure specifically supports these advancements with robust, scalable, and cyber-resilient architecture, allowing electric utilities to evolve their systems seamlessly without compromising on safety or reliability. The key to navigating this transformation lies in the deployment of the Utility Operational Technology (OT) Cloud, a high-capacity, on-premises compute platform specifically designed to integrate mission-critical OT applications and grid data.

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When a change is required in processing speeds, networking or storage, the IT staff must once again go through the same process and schedule time to complete the hardware upgrade. As IT professionals have experienced, physical hardware on premises requires careful consideration of procurement time, vendor contracts, reliance on the supply chain and installation activities to accommodate the new assets in the IT server room. For some utilities, control systems deployed on cloud infrastructure may offer a compelling way to streamline operations, reduce IT burden and focus resources on their core mission—maintain reliable, resilient and cost-efficient operations. This information is used to measure browsing behavior, produce statistical reports, improve the browsing experience and survey Internet users. He brings more than 20 years of experience in security and the high-tech industry, including positions in sales, marketing, engineering and operations.