Waterfall

Waterfall secures gas supply network between Lithuania and Poland

Posted on by Techtime

Waterfall Security Solutions, the OT security company has deployed its unidirectional cyber gateway barrier across the gas transmission infrastructure between Lithuania and Poland. The hardware solution, installed at several nodes throughout the pipelines network, allows operational systems such as pumps and control systems, to send operational data outside to the information system. At the same time, the hardware blocks attackers and prevent them from damaging or distrupting the system. In fact, this system is the new natural gas interconnect that joins Polish, Lithuanian, Baltic and Finnish gas transmission systems with the European Union pipeline system. The infrastructure is operated by the gas transmission system operators of Lithuania (Amber Grid) and Poland (Gaz-System S.A.).   

The cybersecurity solution was deployed lately, and among other reasons, it is meant to prevent Russian cyber attacks as part of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions the UE is plan to impose on Russian gas import, a move that may provoke a backlash from Russia. Lior Frenkel, CEO and Co-Founder at Waterfall Security Solutions say in a conversation with Techtime: “There is a growing recognition in Europe for the need to strengthen the cybersecurity walls around crucial infrastructures. This trend began even before the war in Ukraine, on the background of several gas infrastructure attacks, but there is no doubt that the war made this need a necessity. We are involved in several similar projects at the area”.    

Founded at 2008, Waterfall has developed a unidirectional cyber solution, consists of both hardware and software, which offers bulletproof protection for operational networks (OT) in industrial facilities against remote cyber attacks. The hardware component is installed between the operational network (OT) and the external network (IT). A single one direction optical fiber connects the two, thus creates a Unidirectional Security Gateway allowing data to move only outward but not into the industrial network itself.

This hardware creates a physical barrier that isolates the network. When a user uses the analytics systems, he does so in a replicated cloud. Waterfall employs approximately 100 employees in Israel and the US. According to the company it has a few thousands of customers, mainly from the Energy and Electricity, Gas and Oil, Water and Chemicals sectors.

[Image source: Gaz-System]

Waterfall and NanoLock collaborate to protect critical infrastructure

Posted on by Techtime

A new Israeli cooperation in the critical infrastructures’ cyber defense.  Waterfall Security Company and NanoLock Company announced a new cooperation of offering a combined solution for energy & critical infrastructures companies. According to the companies, the synergy between the solutions will provide tighter and more holistic protection to the various layers of operation and production systems against different cyber scenarios. 

Waterfall’s solution is located in the communication interface between the IT systems and the operation & production systems, and creates a unidirectional buffer that prevents cyber intrusions from outside the system. NanoLock’s solution is installed at the device level, providing protection to connected edge devices, such as industrial controllers and sensors. At this level, the solution prevents maliciously or accidentally unauthorized code alterations, whether by employees or outsiders.

Yanir Laubshtein, NanoLock’s VP Cyber Solutions, explains the technological and business rationality behind the cooperation: “Waterfall creates separation between the production infrastructure and the internet, while we provide protection at the controller or sensor level. Since technicians or vendors might have occasional access to the edge-devices, such as for maintenance – it is important to fully protect them. Our solution allow for using the edge-devices for telemetry only, and block any unauthorized attempts to alter their definitions. This is not only malicious attacks protection, but also human errors that might cause faults and harm the operational flow. Nowadays, critical infrastructure plants are subject to tighter regulation requirements. Also, the latter attacks wave increased the industry’s awareness to cyber protection solutions”. 

Two concepts of IIoT cyber security

Founded in 2016, NanoLock’s solution provides device level protection for IoT and industrial equipment, with minimal power, processing and memory footprint, and is therefore particularly suitable for IoT devices with limited processing resources and scant battery power such as smart meters in the gas, water and electricity industries.

Founded at 2008, Waterfall has developed a unidirectional cyber solution, consists of both hardware and software, which offers bulletproof protection for operational networks (OT) in industrial facilities against remote cyber attacks. The hardware component is installed between the operational network (OT) and the external network (IT). A single one direction optical fiber connects the two, thus creates a Unidirectional Security Gateway allowing data to move only outward but not into the industrial network itself. This hardware creates a physical barrier that isolates the network. When a user uses the analytics systems, he does so in a replicated cloud.

Waterfall Security deployed cyber defense solution at a Romanian power plant

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[Waterfall new Singapore office] 

The industrial cyber company Waterfall Security installed its unidirectional cyber security system in a Romanian power plant. The installation process was accompanied by a local integrator, HTSS Company, specializing in business and industrial software solutions, with more than 1,000 customers at 11 countries. Lately, Waterfall Security launched new branches in Singapore and United Arab Emirates.

Waterfall’s CEO and founder, Lior Frenkel, says to Techtime that its company is highly active at the power plants sector. “The whole sector, at the global level, is gearing up on the subject of defending production systems from cyber attacks. This is mainly due to the latest increased threat of ransomware attacks. 

Founded at 2008, Waterfall has developed a unidirectional cyber solution, consists of both hardware and software, which offers bulletproof protection for operational networks (OT) in industrial facilities against remote cyber attacks. The hardware component is installed between the operational network (OT) and the external network (IT). A single one direction optical fiber connects the two, thus creates a Unidirectional Security Gateway allowing data to move only outward but not into the industrial network itself.

This hardware creates a physical barrier that isolates the network. When a user uses the analytics systems, he does so in a replicated cloud. Waterfall employs approximately 100 employees in Israel and the US. According to the company it has a few thousands of customers, mainly from the Energy and Electricity, Gas and Oil, Water and Chemicals sectors.

Waterfall Security Opens Office in Singapore

Posted on by Techtime

[Waterfall new Singapore office]

The industrial cyber security company Waterfall Security announced an expansion into the Asia Pacific (APAC) region with the opening of a Waterfall office in Singapore. Waterfall stated that the Singapore expansion reflects the company growing customer base in the region, with the office strategically located to support the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and other countries in the region. The Singapore office will support local sales, marketing, and partner programs, and will support the growing need for local and native customer and technical support.

Founded at 2008, Waterfall has developed a unidirectional cyber solution, consists of both hardware and software, which offers bulletproof protection for operational networks (OT) in industrial facilities against remote cyber attacks. The hardware component is installed between the operational network (OT) and the external network (IT). A single one direction optical fiber connects the two, thus creates a Unidirectional Security Gateway allowing data to move only outward but not into the industrial network itself.

This hardware creates a physical barrier that isolates the network. When a user uses the analytics systems, he does so in a replicated cloud. Waterfall employs approximately 100 employees in Israel and the US. According to the company it has a few thousands of customers, mainly from the Energy and Electricity, Gas and Oil, Water and Chemicals sectors.

Cyber protection for Tel Aviv Wastewater Treatment Plant

Posted on by Techtime

Waterfall Security has deployed hardware and software cyber security suite at the Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant (SHAFDAN) in Rishon Letzion, approximately 10 km south of Tel Aviv. It allows the site administrators to use the analytics and remote management systems without endangering the industrial network, which connects the various pumps and purification systems. The Israeli government recently passed a resolution allowing the Ministry of Environmental Protection to condition the issuance of a Toxins Permit to factories engaged in the treatment of hazardous chemicals, on installing effective cyber protection measures.

The SHAFDAN is the largest wastewater treatment facility in Israel. The plant currently treats 370,000 m3/d of municipal wastewater from a population of over 2.0 million in the Greater Tel Aviv area, and is designed for the biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Its analytics software (designed by IOSight) monitors various operational parameters. The Waterfall solution will replicate on a separate cloud all the information collected by the IOSight’s platform, thus allowing its use without exposing the industrial network to cyber-attacks.

Every Firewall has its own Vulnerabilities

Waterfall’s Founder and CEO, Lior Frenkel
Waterfall’s CEO, Lior Frenkel

Waterfall’s Founder and CEO, Lior Frenkel, told Techtime that the protection suite is based on experience he had gained in his previous company, Gita Technologies, which dealt with offensive cyber warfare.

“There was not a single event when we were unable to carry out an intrusion. It made me realize the great weakness of the industrial facilities.” The major weakness is the reliance of industrial customers on software solutions such as firewalls, which are supposed to filter out unauthorized users.

“Every software has bugs and weaknesses. Firewalls, as well as various detection systems, cannot prevent attacks in an absolute manner. In the corporate world, the primary risk is theft of information, but in the industrial domain, cyber intrusion can completely disable the facility and sometimes endanger lives.”

A physical barrier between the network and the intruder

“We have developed an alternative technology that allows information to be shared outward from the industrial network but does not allow information to go in. This is a bulletproof solution.” The hardware component is installed between the operational network (OT) and the external network (IT). A single one direction optical fiber connects the two, thus creates a Unidirectional Security Gateway allowing data to move only outward but not into the industrial network itself.

“Our hardware creates a physical barrier that isolates the network. When a user examines the analytics systems, he does so in the replicated cloud.” Founded in 2007, Waterfall employs approximately 100 workers in Israel and the US. Its customers mainly belong to the Energy and Electricity, Gas and Oil, Water and Chemicals sectors. These days,  Watefall plans to establish a branch in Singapore to target the Smart Buildings market.