![]() ![]() United Water installed a dozen devices as a test bed. Using the Internet capability of the production control console with a password-protected login, the security device can be set up and enabled in moments from a template on the device manufacturer’s website.Īfter review of the technology, United Water’s IT department was receptive to the concept because it would allow process personnel to deploy and maintain their own networks, freeing up IT for other tasks. Installation can be as simple as mounting the device, providing 24VDC power, plugging in the network cable and using a patch cord to connect to the server, human machine interface PC or production equipment cell to be protected. Customers in the automotive and other industries have used these versions with excellent results in providing security for older production systems. Rated IP 20 for mounting in factory enclosures, it is installed easily and enabled by technicians rather than network administrators. The hardened, industrial version of mGuard has been in production since 2005 and has proven to be effective in tens of thousands of demanding installations. rack mounting in cabinets, as PCI cards or as dongle-style patch cords for roaming technicians. Various industrial-rated designs are available for DIN-rail mounting, for 19-in. The system includes small, industrial-rated modules that incorporate router, firewall, encrypted VPN tunnels, filtering of incoming and outgoing connectivity, authentication, and other functions to provide layers of distributed “defense-in-depth” economically and without disturbing production. In early 2010, United Water was introduced to the family of mGuard industrial network security devices from Phoenix Contact, created and developed by its subsidiary Innominate Security Technologies. In the past, we had mixed results using office network-grade products that were expensive, required special skills to configure and failed frequently.” Solution in Action “We needed a solution that was easy to configure, powered by 24VDC, met our IT security standards and could hold up to years of operation in a harsh environment. “We needed an industrial solution, particularly for our remote sites,” said Keith Kolkebeck, systems engineering project manager for United Water. A leading IT network solution initially was considered, as this path reflected the corporate office network standard, but there were other considerations. The systems engineering group, corporate IT department and an outside consulting firm were involved in the project and the security product evaluations. In 2009, the organization planned to increase the security of its SCADA control networks. United Water supports more than 300 remote field sites companywide. For more than 30 years, it has used a variety of methods to connect to remote sites, including modems, leased lines, dry pairs and licensed radio. United Water operates and manages water and wastewater systems that serve about 7 million people across the U.S. Here is how one leading and progressive utility is securing the industrial control networks of its extensive infrastructure. This security breach resulted in the dumping of millions of gallons of raw sewage onto a resort hotel’s grounds for a period of three months.Īs a result, water providers realized that many industrial controls would benefit from virtual private network (VPN) connectivity and diversified firewalls behind the typical front-office firewalls. The water industry recognized that these systems needed increased security after the 2006 conviction of a hacker who seized control of a water treatment facility’s SCADA system in Australia. The water supply is an essential part of the critical infrastructure. Providing and protecting the security of that supply is a reasonable mandate. Agriculture consumes about 70%, and industry about 20%. In the western world, 100 to 150 gal per person per day is more typical, although people only consume 10% of the total production supply. Urban water usage worldwide measures 31 gal a day per person, with usage in undeveloped areas averaging 18 gal a day. Life can exist for centuries-hundreds of them-without electricity and fossil fuels: Not so without freshwater. Human beings can live for months without food, but only for a matter of days without water. Dickman can be reached at fact that water is the elixir of all life forms was known and understood long before Ponce de León searched for his legendary fountain. Frank Dickman, BSMAE, RCDD, is a Chicago-based engineering consultant.
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