AVEVA PI Systems^® are at the focus of IT/OT integration designs and so are vital to IT/OT cybersecurity programs. Waterfall Security Solutions recognizes this coupling of PI systems to security programs in our new guide: Cybersecurity for AVEVA PI Servers. The guide is important to owners and operators who use PI servers to enable business efficiencies by providing data, insights and analytics to enterprise automation, partners and cloud-based automation. As a trusted AVEVA partner for over eight years, Waterfall’s products and solutions enable businesses to completely eliminate the risk of remote cyber attacks entering their industrial control systems, while still providing the seamless, native IT/OT integration that is an essential part of AVEVA PI System deployments.

Waterfall’s solution suite for the AVEVA PI System comprehensively addresses:

• Safe integration of operational technology OT and IT networks,
• Self-contained, native protocol support and access to AVEVA PI data sets and analytics capabilities without installing extra hardware or software components, and
• Safe and seamless connectivity to the AVEVA Data Hub to unlock the potential of AVEVA Data Hub (cloud services) and Community Data Sharing.
  
  

Waterfall offers industrial-grade cybersecurity improvements to classic, firewalled IT/OT connectivity. The problem with the classic firewalled approach to IT/OT protection is that attackers know how to break through firewalls with relative ease. After all, how many ransomware attacks compromised IT networks recently? Thousands? Every one of those breaches passed through the IT/Internet firewall. Cybersecurity practitioners are increasingly reluctant to rely on classic firewalls and other software-based intrusion prevention and detection mechanisms – reluctant to rely on these software-based measures to protect the computers operating our powerful, dangerous manufacturing and critical infrastructure control networks.

The most secure AVEVA PI & AVEVA Data Hub sites use at least one layer of Unidirectional Gateways in their defense-in-depth network security designs, most commonly at the IT/OT interface. Unidirectional Gateway hardware is not physically able to transmit online cyber attacks into industrial targets, no matter how sophisticated those attacks may be and no matter how cleverly those attacks may have been disguised. Waterfall’s gateway software makes deployment easy and seamless at the IT/OT interface. The software integrates natively with AVEVA PI systems and AVEVA PI Edge Data Servers, replicating both data and metadata in “set and forget” style – with Waterfall’s solutions there is no need for a constant stream of additional work to maintain safe and secure connectivity.

Waterfall’s Unidirectional Security Gateways help secure sites to anticipate future needs as well. The AVEVA Data Hub is coming – to most sites, more likely sooner than later. Reaping the benefits and efficiencies of Data Hub connectivity is a problem though, because connectivity with the Data Hub relies on connecting to and through the Internet. Unidirectional Gateways solve this problem by providing unbreachable OT network perimeter security, while supporting native connectivity with the AVEVA Data Hub. The gateways allow safe access to OT information for big data analysis and cross-site application purposes while reliably defeating even the most sophisticated targeted ransomware attacks.

Waterfall Unidirectional Gateways are the preferred OT security solution for AVEVA PI, with the strongest security, the most compatible technology, and the greatest ability to support PI Systems and the AVEVA Data Hub both today and into the future. Waterfall’s proven track record of protecting PI installations has resulted in numerous successful configurations and deployments. For a more comprehensive understanding of how Waterfall’s industry-leading solutions enable the benefits of modern data management without introducing cybersecurity risks, download our latest eBook Cybersecurity for AVEVA PI Servers.