Field test new prototypes of solutions developed to meet the specific cybersecurity needs of energy infrastructures. With this goal was born the new collaboration between Leonardo, the international player dedicated to the development of multi-domain operational capabilities in the Aerospace, Defense and Security sectors through the supervision of strategic technologies, e A2A, the Life Company committed to the sustainable growth of the country to improve the quality of life of people and lead the ecological transition.
The experimentation, they explain, will concern in particular the analysis of the IT risk of digital assets and services, the virtualization of application tests and the protection of stations dedicated to plant control. Leonardo and A2A underline that these are critical processes for the protection of strategic infrastructures, fundamental to seize the opportunities offered by the evolution of the energy system towards digitalization and decentralization – consequences of the energy transition and the development of renewable sources – responding to the security challenges that this transformation entails.
The two players explain that the use of digital technology amplifies the level of interconnection of the electricity grids, exposing them to a greater cyber risk and requires the deployment of advanced technological solutions to safeguard the corporate information assets and ensure the continuity of services. For the analysis of cyber risk, a new generation system will be tested that allows to manage the entire intelligence cycle, from the definition of the requirements, to the collection of internal and external information sources, structured and unstructured, up to the analysis and the production of reports and indicators of compromise. It will thus be possible to precisely identify the threats, the probability of an attack is completed and then implement the most appropriate countermeasures.
A prototype of a ‘multi-sandbox’ platform called Argo will allow for simultaneous testing and in an orchestrated way, in a virtual operating environment isolated from the network and the company information system – which therefore will not be exposed to risks – heterogeneous applications and antivirus, indicating the most effective combinations to fully and safely exploit all available technologies. Finally, a solution of Endpoint Detection and Response (Edr) customizzata per ambienti industriali di tipo Ics-Industrial Control Systems), for monitoring workstations dedicated to control systems and responding to security incidents. The system allows an active analysis of the behavior and activities that are performed by the applications used by users, preventing violations and allowing to intervene with timely responses.
“Leonardo is the technological and industrial partner of reference for the safety of critical infrastructures and suppliers of essential services and, to maintain this leadership, constant research and innovation activities are essential “comments Tommaso Profeta, Managing Director of the Cyber Security Division of Leonardo.” The collaboration with A2A – he adds – will allow us to experiment in the field with some of our most innovative technologies for the cybersecurity of industrial processes and to enrich our offer of proprietary solutions for digitization and security, among the pillars of the Be Tomorrow – Leonardo 2030 strategic plan for long-term sustainable growth “.
Alessandro Manfredini, Group Security Cyber Defense Director of the A2A Group, explains that the company “has always been attentive to security: we believe that, in the digital transition, cyber security must be approached in a holistic way from the earliest stages of designing technological solutions”. “This is a fundamental aspect in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the essential services we offer to people, taking care of the quality of their life” he comments
“This important initiative carried out with a leading partner in the sector such as Leonardo – underlines Manfredini– will be able to support our Group in its commitment to contribute to the country’s sustainable growth, as outlined in the new ten-year Business Plan. This is an important agreement that we hope will also bring value to the whole world of utilities “.
The new solutions, currently being implemented in Leonardo’s cybersecurity research center, will be tested, on the basis of a specific Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies, on A2A plants and networks, with a particular focus on energy generation and distribution processes.