Bringing network visibility to unmanaged power utility substations

Profitap was tasked by a leading power utility company in a South-central State in the USA to provide network visibility to a group of unmanaged power substations that are moving from analog to digital systems. These stations are distributed in remote zones with almost no control or surveillance due to the hard-to-reach locations. Upgrading to digital systems is due to two main factors: compliance with one of the most industry-standard NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan (NERC) and mitigation from growing cyber risks. The NERC is compulsory by all utilities generating or distributing electric power, oil, water, or natural gas. NERC’s specific areas of concern are security awareness, physical security, remote access connections, and incident response.