3x3 Interview: Critical Infrastructure
1. How are you developing your critical infrastructure solutions in response to evolving threats and emerging technologies?
2. How do you cope with the very specific and individual nature of critical infrastructure sites and the criticality of their security being watertight?
3. Please describe an exemplar case study where your products and solutions are used on a critical infrastructure project.
Stefan Blohm
Business Development Manager for DACH regions, Raytec
1. The development of solutions for critical infrastructures is characterised by a constant process of adaptation to evolving threats and new technologies. A key part of Raytec’s strategy is the integration of hybrid lamps, which enable seamless switching from infra-red to white-light in the event of an incident. This flexibility is crucial in order to be able to react quickly and effectively to different situations. Raytec also attaches great importance to the safety of its products. The IPPOE lamps are equipped with TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption to protect data transmission and minimise potential points of attack. To ensure the effectiveness of these security measures, various on-site penetration tests were successfully passed. The tests serve to uncover potential vulnerabilities and ensure that our products meet the highest security standards.
2. Managing the unique nature of critical infrastructure sites while ensuring tight security is a paramount concern for our operations. With years of experience working on critical infrastructure projects in England, where standards have traditionally been stringent, we have developed a deep understanding of the challenges and requirements involved. Raytec has a proven track record of delivering secure solutions for CI, and this is reflected in our successful compliance with rigorous inspections and standards. Our commitment to security is ingrained in our processes, from initial design to implementation and ongoing maintenance. Furthermore, our employees who work in this area undergo rigorous training and certification to ensure they understand the unique security needs of CI sites. This combination of experience, expertise and dedication enables us to effectively manage the unique challenges of CI while maintaining the highest standards of security and reliability.
3. While we have successfully implemented numerous projects in the field of electricity within critical infrastructure, unfortunately, due to the stringent safety and security protocols surrounding these projects, we are not permitted to disclose specific information or case studies. However, I can assure you that our products and solutions have been instrumental in enhancing the reliability, efficiency and security of various critical infrastructure projects. Our commitment to excellence and our track record of delivering innovative and reliable solutions speak to the trust placed in us by clients in the CI sector.
Christian Bömmel
Chief Business Unit Officer Automotive & Industrial, Innosent
1. Right from the start, in addition to our standard products, we also develop individual radar solutions in close cooperation with our customers. We are in constant communication with the industry in order to test radar monitoring in real and individual scenarios and to optimise it for the user. The changing dangers, tasks and locations of use concern not only our customers but also our radar experts in product development. Innosent is strongly committed to research projects and also develops sensors for other industries. These findings are then incorporated directly into our existing and new radar solutions. Examples of this include the use of AI and advancements in chip technology that allow us to achieve even better performance.
2. The performance of the products is particularly important for critical infrastructure. False or missing alerts can have dire consequences. We set extremely high standards for our sensor solutions for the security sector in terms of quality, accuracy and reliability. This specifically means that our products have filter functions for wind, rain or small animals, detect attempts at manipulation and are insensitive to contamination. We are also conscious of using multiple technologies to ensure watertight protection. That’s why our radar systems can also be combined with camera technology. We thereby create synergies that make security monitoring even better. One challenge is to avoid interference between numerous radars being used, but we achieve this through the availability of different frequency channels. Regular updates and new product solutions that use the latest technical developments and materials are a matter of course for us as technology drivers.
3. Most of our radar systems perform very classic tasks: they trigger an alarm signal as soon as people or objects are within the monitored zone. We install them on CI sites, such as energy production, refineries, water production etc. The radar systems for perimeter protection either monitor a specific zone on the premises or detect movements outside in order to protect against intruders. Radar barriers often come into play, which detect people, animals or objects that pass through a kind of invisible ‘radar fence’. You will also find our sensors on critical infrastructure. For example, traffic management systems use our radar to control traffic lights, or our level radar determines flood levels. Our distance measuring systems generally support the manoeuvring of objects at ports and airports. Radar is a technology that can be used in many ways.
Nick Smith
Business Development Manager, Genetec
1. Critical infrastructure facilities can be large, so protecting them is a complex challenge that demands multifaceted solutions. Our unified security platform configures, monitors and controls all third party security systems and devices such as surveillance cameras and door controllers within one interface. We are constantly innovating this platform to help security operators within CI organisations to gain a better understanding of their environment. We’re also putting a big focus on Security Center SaaS, our unified, enterprise-grade security-as-a-service solution. This newly announced offering brings together access control, video management and many other advanced security capabilities in the cloud. It’s a particularly good fit for CI organisations who are finding they aren’t well served by other options on the market. Proprietary solutions hold customers hostage, while standalone VSaaS/ACaaS solutions offered by emerging players are too simple to address their complex needs.
2. We empower our partners and end users to address the very specific and individual needs of critical infrastructure sites by providing them with an open platform, unified software solution which can tap into a constantly evolving ecosystem of technologies and support thousands of industry-leading security devices. Organisations are free to choose the most appropriate devices for them at that specific time. As threats evolve, they can swap out or add new technologies to address emerging challenges without starting from scratch. We prioritise the cybersecurity of these solutions to safeguard the integrity of critical infrastructure sites and the sensitive data they hold. This commitment is evidenced by several certifications we have obtained, including ISO 27001, ISO 20017, CAPSS, ANSSI and SOC2 Type 2. This signifies that internal controls at Genetec are built on the best industry practices and aligned with industry standards to secure CI organisations.
3. Energir, the main natural gas distributor in Quebec, Canada, employs over 1,500 people and has over $8 billion in assets. To keep its people and properties safe, the company upgraded to Genetec Security Center. Faced with outdated technology, Energir recognised the need for a unified platform to optimise processes and enhance site security. Since upgrading to Security Center, Energir has been able to enhance operational and response efficiencies tenfold. That’s because the team now manages security across its sites from one single platform. Within Security Center, the team can also monitor live or recorded video using the Omnicast video surveillance system and manage cardholders and doors using the Synergis access control system. The energy company has also implemented the AutoVu automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system to reinforce perimeter security. This has allowed Energir to minimise traffic congestion and improve the flow of vehicles at site entrances and exits.
