Raytheon Company and Utilidata recently entered into a strategic partnership to help power utilities protect, defend, and respond to a variety of cyber threats.
“With this alliance, Raytheon will expand our presence in the critical infrastructure market by delivering next-generation, defense-grade cybersecurity capabilities to power utilities,” Dave Wajsgras, president of Intelligence, Information and Services at Raytheon, said.
For the initiative, Utilidata will utilize its experience with real-time data monitoring of electrical grids to detect and respond to potential cyber threats. Raytheon will also use its expertise in cyber threat hunting, automation and managed security to provide enhanced cybersecurity and analytics services.
Raytheon said its partnership with Utilidata will also provide cyber monitoring, post-attack forensic analysis and strategic capabilities to limit overall risk of future attacks.
The new partnership follows a recent trend by utilities companies investing heavily in making power distribution systems smarter and more efficient. While those changes help grid systems run more smoothly, they also leave utilities more vulnerable to cyber attacks, such as the 2015 cyberattack on a Ukrainian power grid that left more than 250,000 people without power for an extended period of time.
“Power utilities face unique challenges that make planning and response to cyber attacks more difficult,” Utilidata CEO Scott DePasquale said. “With more and more devices and systems connected to the internet, and all of them needing electrical power, these challenges are increasing exponentially. This new alliance will help define the future of cybersecurity in the power utilities sector.”