RICHMOND HILL, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--N-Dimension Solutions, a market leading Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) with innovative solutions that protect smart energy networks from cyber threats, announced PUC Services is now using its N-Sentinel Monitoring and N-Sentinel Vulnerability Assessment solutions to improve the utility’s cybersecurity defenses and cybersecurity workflow response. Initial deployment of N-Sentinel services are to protect the utility’s power distribution and corporate network; plans are to adopt these solutions throughout all IP based networks.
PUC Services operates, maintains and manages multiple utilities within Northern Ontario and is headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie. Services offered include treatment and distribution of drinking water, treatment and collection of wastewater, distribution of electricity and technology management. The Company serves a total population in the order of 80,000 people across the District of Algoma and the Towns of Espanola, Massey and Webbwood.
“Threats are growing more hostile and frequent, connected grid technologies are creating new exposures and new challenges. With cyber threats on the rise, monitoring and awareness of vulnerabilities is essential to mitigate risk,” said Terry Greco, VP of Finance.
When Sault Ste. Marie’s Utility began upgrading its power and water meters to an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) with IP-based communications, PUC sought to improve their cybersecurity defenses. They installed N-Sentinel Monitoring sensors in two network locations. One sensor monitors part of the operations network while the other monitors the corporate network. If suspicious cyber activity is detected, N-Sentinel Monitoring analyzes the data in the cloud and sends an alert. Intelligence about the threat and actions for the utility to take are delivered via a secure web portal. Unlike other intrusion detection products and services, N-Sentinel Monitoring provides detailed insights about the threat, its source, and actions for the utility to take to eliminate the threat.
“N-Dimension uniquely offers critical managed services that provide timely awareness and in-depth insight into cybersecurity issues and how to address them – before they impact utility operations,” said Michael Lesnick, IT Manager, PUC Services. “Plus their teams of cybersecurity experts are knowledgeable and responsive.”
PUC Services is also using N-Sentinel Vulnerability Assessment to scan endpoint devices on demand, identifying exploitable vulnerabilities. “Annual penetration testing is no longer adequate. N-Sentinel Monitoring gives us the metrics for all levels of utility management that enables us to keep them updated on how well our security defenses are working and our improvement over time,” said Lesnick. “The N-Sentinel Vulnerability Assessment report is easy to understand, executed on demand and provides us with the pertinent data.”
“N-Sentinel managed security services are proven in helping utilities to get the critical in-depth cybersecurity intelligence they need without having to expand their internal staff to add cybersecurity experts and expertise,” said Tom Ayers, CEO N-Dimension. “We are a trusted partner with utility IT teams and work hand-in-hand with them on reducing cyber risk.”
About N-Dimension Solutions
N-Dimension is a market leading Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) with innovative solutions tailored to protect smart energy networks from cyber attacks, improving system reliability and safeguarding critical infrastructure, data and assets. The company’s N-Sentinel line of services delivers vigilance, detecting and alerting on cyber threats. It combines cloud-based security intelligence and cybersecurity experts to deliver actionable guidance that enables utilities to take timely, preemptive action to protect themselves against cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
Company headquarters are in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada and U.S. headquarters are located in Addison, Texas. N-Dimension is the exclusive cybersecurity partner of Hometown Connections, the utility services subsidiary of the American Public Power Association (APPA), an associate member of the APPA, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and Electricity Distributors Association (EDA).
For more information about N-Sentinel and to request a free demo, visit our website at www.n-dimension.com. Please follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn; check us out on YouTube and CrunchBase.
