This week, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) announced the commercial launch of its operational technology (OT) cybersecurity solution, Essence. Developed since 2014 with funding from the US Department of Energy, Essence is a robust early warning system for the critical infrastructure community. It combines OT and IT deep packet inspection to detect threats and detect new devices that join the network.
Essence is powered by a proprietary AI system and a cyber-physical rules engine that can quickly alert operators in case anomalies are identified. It can also dynamically discover SCADA and other OT network assets and actively observe traffic, allowing operators to set custom alarms for critical loads and IT/OT components. It also includes incident response components that enable users to control incident information sharing and flow.
The solution has already been used by dozens of electric cooperatives and can be deployed at other types of utilities, including gas and water providers. NRECA’s CIO and Essence program lead, Wayne McGurk, said of the solution: “Essence is uniquely positioned to empower America’s electric co-ops and other critical infrastructure owners across many sectors that can benefit from monitoring their OT and IT assets in real time.”
In conclusion, the commercial launch of the NRECA’s operational technology cybersecurity solution, Essence, is a major step in the right direction for protecting critical infrastructure. It combines OT and IT deep packet inspection to detect threats, detect new devices that join the network, and allows users to set custom alarms for critical loads and IT/OT components. Additionally, it includes incident response components that enable users to control incident information sharing and flow.
Key Points:
• NRECA announced the commercial launch of its operational technology (OT) cybersecurity solution, Essence
• Essence is a ‘robust early warning system’ for the critical infrastructure community
• It combines OT and IT deep packet inspection to detect threats
• It can detect new devices that join the network, dynamically discover SCADA and other OT network assets, and allow users to set custom alarms
• It includes incident response components that enable users to control incident information sharing and flow