Eaton Joins Forces With Tenable to Address OT/IT Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure

Eaton and Tenable Inc Join Forces

Eaton has recently announced a joint venture with a cyber security organization called Tenable. Founded in 2002 and with over 30,000 customers worldwide, Tenable is a cybersecurity risk evaluating company. Tenable helps companies look for where they might be exposed to cybersecurity risks and how to reduce those risks through software packages.

 

Tenable’s platform interface. Image used courtesy of Tenable

 

The collaboration between Eaton and Tenable is focusing on Eaton’s vast knowledge of electrical systems in industrial environments, and Tenable’s IT/OT cybersecurity management software. Eaton’s position will be to provide cybersecurity services such as; design, deployment, and maintenance of power and OT/industrial control systems.

 

Tenable

As IIoT gathers steam, so does the requirement to ensure industrial systems are not exposing companies to cybersecurity risks. We have already seen cybersecurity risks taken advantage of early this year with the Colonial Pipeline being temporarily shut down.

The Biden administration has recently released a national plan to secure critical control systems. Tenable offers solutions to companies that can show where they might have security risks within their control system networks.

 

A breakdown of the industries that Tenable works with. Image used courtesy of Tenable

 

Tenable works with industrial networks to protect them from cyber threats, malicious attacks, and human error. Tenable also has a line of IT cybersecurity solutions that integrate with Tenable providing a complete enterprise solution.

Tenable will detect and alert administrators of threats both internal, external, and when strange network behavior is detected. Network security policies can be enforced and tracked for changes made to local devices.

Because of these features and others, Eaton will be using the Tenable solution to provide their customers with a turnkey cybersecurity solution along with their electrical control systems.

 

Operational Technology (OT)

During the early days of automation, the machine network was always isolated from the plant network. This was mainly because there wasn’t a way to securely add a PLC or automation devices to a public network.

Today, there is a growing need to access data from any place in the world. That is now a reality because of devices equipped with IIoT features. According to research out of Hampshire, UK, it is expected that there will be 36.8 billion industrial devices requiring IoT connections by 2025.

 

Tenable’s I/O capabilities with the cloud. Image used courtesy of Tenable

 

Some of these devices may cause cybersecurity risks. These risks could cost companies millions of dollars, or the employees could have their identity stolen.

Companies in the industrial space know these risks and are taking actions to prevent cyber attacks, but it’s a long road. Eaton, which provides large industrial electrical installations, offers cybersecurity solutions with its installations. Eaton is hoping to save customers money by not searching for a cybersecurity provider along with their electrical installations.

They are hopeful that this new partnership with Tenable will help them expand their critical infrastructure capabilities in the industrial sector.