Securing ageing assets against rising cyber threats

25 September 2020

Securing ageing assets against rising cyber threats

Can utilities balance the need to inject new intelligence and connectivity into their aging asset base with the risk that doing so will increase cyber vulnerability? Download Utility Week's new report, in association with Fortinet, to find out.

Increasing intelligence and connectivity across utilities’ legacy asset bases is a key route to finding the operational efficiency gains companies are under pressure to deliver in new and upcoming regulatory periods. It is also essential to enabling the transition to smart, low carbon operations for network operators.

But with increased intelligence and connectivity, comes increased cyber risk. Download this report, created by Utility Week in association with cyber security specialist Fortinet, to understand the key considerations and actions operational leaders need to be thinking about to ensure the creation of a smarter asset base doesn’t also lead to the creation of a more vulnerable asset base.

Key issues covered in the report include:

– The impact of Covid-19 on cyber threats to utilities

– Assuring cyber security without disruption or constraining operations

– Identifying “least risk” methods of increasing asset connectivity

– Implementing cyber security measures to maximise asset life and utilisation

Increasing agility in sites that currently suffer from limited telemetry can help supercharge operational efficiency and empower business decision-making, as well as performance against a tough regulatory backdrop for utilities, but it comes at the cost of greater risk.

The convergence of operational technology (OT) infrastructure, such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, with IT networks, core business systems and even public internet sites, extends the threat landscape. Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) devices in remote locations, such as sensors attached to pipelines and water mains, introduce new vulnerabilities and underline the need for robust cybersecurity.