Electric and Water Utility Cybersecurity Improvement Case Study

This case study details the collaboration between a leading U.S. electric and water utility and Dragos to enhance operational technology (OT) visibility and reduce cybersecurity risks. Following significant cyberattacks on Ukrainian utilities in 2015, the utility's executive team sought to assess their vulnerability to similar threats. The project team conducted a red team exercise to evaluate the existing cybersecurity capabilities, revealing misconceptions among executives regarding their security infrastructure. The decision to implement the Dragos Platform was based on its ability to provide comprehensive visibility into critical industrial control systems (ICS) and OT assets. The deployment process highlighted the importance of securing executive support, engaging cross-functional teams, and avoiding operational disruptions. Key lessons learned included the value of proactive information gathering and vendor collaboration. The successful implementation of Dragos solutions has resulted in improved OT visibility and enhanced threat detection capabilities, ultimately benefiting the utility's service reliability.