IT risk analysis of digital assets and services, virtualization of application tests and protection of workstations dedicated to plant control. These are the areas of the new collaboration between Leonardo and A2A, energy infrastructure company, in order to lead the cyber security towards the ecological transition.
After the agreement with Snam, Leonardo joins forces with the Italian life company to field test new IT security solutions dedicated to electricity generation and distribution plants.
These are critical processes for the protection of strategic infrastructures, essential for seizing the opportunities offered by the evolution of the energy system towards digitization and decentralization, responding to the security challenges that this transformation brings. The use of digital technology exposes electricity grids to a greater cyber risk and requires advanced technological solutions to safeguard corporate information assets and guarantee service continuity.
As far as the 'risk analysis, a new generation system will be tested which allows the entire intelligence cycle to be managed, from the definition of requirements, to the collection of internal and external, structured and unstructured information sources, up to the analysis and production of reports and indicators of impairment.
In this way it will be possible to precisely identify the probability that an attack will be completed and then implement the most effective countermeasures. Instead, a prototype "multi-sandbox" platform called ARGO will allow to test simultaneously and in an orchestrated way, in a virtual operating environment and isolated from the network and from the corporate information system, applications and antivirus heterogeneous, indicating the most effective combinations to fully and safely exploit all the technologies available.
Finally – reads a note – a solution will be tested Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) customized for ICS-type industrial environments (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.
The new solutions are currently under implementation in Leonardo's cyber security research center and will be tested, on the basis of a specific Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies, on A2A's plants and networks, with a particular focus on energy generation processes and of distribution.
“Leonardo is the technological and industrial partner of reference for the security of critical infrastructures and suppliers of essential services and, to maintain this leadership, constant research and innovation activities are essential – he commented Tommaso Profeta, Managing Director of Leonardo's Cyber Security Division –. The collaboration with A2A will allow us to test some of our most innovative technologies for the cyber security of industrial processes in the field 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.”
“A2A has always been attentive to security: we believe that, in the digital transition, cyber security must be approached holistically right from the early stages of designing technological solutions. This is a fundamental aspect to be able to guarantee the effectiveness of the essential services we offer to people, taking care of their quality of life - he commented Alessandro Manfredini, Group Security & Cyber Defense Director of the A2A Group – This important initiative carried out with a leading partner in the sector such as Leonardo 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 entire world of utilities.”
