Companies like Parsons are at the forefront of innovation and strategic growth in the rapidly evolving landscape of critical infrastructure protection. Recently, Parsons announced his Cyber zcape Tracker, his cybersecurity solution powered by advanced AI and machine learning aimed at protecting critical infrastructure networks. This move, coupled with the strategic acquisition of IPKeys Power Partners, underscores Parsons' commitment to strengthening the resiliency and security of critical services against a range of cyber threats.
The need for such advances cannot be overstated, especially as digital threats become more sophisticated and pervasive, posing significant challenges to utilities and critical infrastructure providers. The integration of IPKeys' software platform and capabilities with Parsons' solutions addresses the many facets of critical infrastructure protection, including the need for comprehensive cybersecurity measures and the effective management of limited resources among small utilities. An example of a forward-thinking approach to addressing challenges.
On the exhibit floor at DISTRIBUTECH 2024, MarketScale captured insightful interviews that shed light on these challenges and the collaborative efforts to overcome them. John Daly, Parsons' Senior Growth Operations Manager, provides a unique perspective on the evolution of critical infrastructure protection and the importance of moving away from outdated methodologies in favor of innovative, proactive solutions. is emphasized.
john's thoughts
“So Parsons has been in the critical infrastructure space for the last 80 years, building power plants, building roads, transportation systems, and everything in between. And we're expanding our footprint on the critical infrastructure side. When they realized they wanted to get into the software business, they approached IP Key Power Partners about how Parsons could best build on the services they currently have. It's a great marriage because our solutions are provided to more than 600 utilities across the country for cybersecurity and energy management.We fit perfectly into the entire ecosystem that Parsons offers as a total package. Masu.”
The challenge of introducing new cybersecurity techniques to critical infrastructure
“The biggest challenge that people will face is how things have been done in the past. That's why it's the most difficult thing to do, whether you're creating a new cybersecurity plan, training your employees on 21st century best practices, or breaking the cycle of negative impact for people even as threats change daily. It's hard to get used to. Sometimes it's hard to get people to take you seriously, especially when you're like, “Okay, take this required course once a year.” , some people think, “That's cool.” I want to finish this class, so I'm going to drop the paper. That's unacceptable, especially since threats are evolving day by day, especially on the utility side.
Therefore, the most difficult problem facing small local utilities, and the biggest challenge, is the number of employees, limited resources, and even limited funding to acquire more resources. That's it. It's tough. A lot of these utilities aren't trained on the latest threats, so you're facing that utility with one guy or two guys, maybe three if you're lucky. . If they patch all their systems to make the attack surface as small as possible, what do they need to be careful about? Do they stay on top to make sure their systems are secure and working? Not only are you there, you're up to your neck in water with everything you have to do. They also get wiretapped saying things like, “Oh, please upgrade this person's system, so do we.'' If you need to reset your password, you'll have to attend another meeting, but if your utility only has one person responsible for that task, they'll be overworked and forget their work. And that matters, especially when you're providing a critical service to an entire community. ”
The need for a comprehensive cybersecurity solution
“You're going to need a solution like a vulnerability scanner. You're going to need a threat analysis tool. You're going to need a solution that will tell you when you need to patch your system in general, when you need to upgrade it, and especially if the threat changes.” You're going to need a network administrator to tell you what vulnerabilities exist on the market that you need to be aware of when you're doing it every day. If not, you might think, oh, I don't need to update the firmware on this printer, and now there's a problem. Now you are susceptible to ransomware attacks and that is bad for everyone. ”
Article written by Sonia Gosai
