Networked Energy Services Launches Threat Detection and Response for the Low Voltage Grid

San Jose, CA, May 11, 2021: Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid solution provider with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAP^TM), is proud to announce the further strengthening of its security solutions with threat detection and response, with planned deployments for over 1 million smart meters by mid-2021 for its new Grid Watch solution.

NES already provides cyber-security regulatory compliance and protection to the highest standards of the energy industry. Threat detection and response, with Grid Watch, is the next step in staying ahead of the cyber-criminal. Public information and studies are clearly showing increased interest from organized criminals and hostile nation states in the smart grid. Their aims are to hold DSOs to ransom and to destabilize the rollout and operation of smart grid infrastructure.

Unlike traditional threat detection and response solutions designed for IT and OT infrastructure, NES Grid Watch focuses specifically on the low voltage smart grid. It embeds knowledge of how cyber-criminals will attack this very specific and unique domain in the wider smart energy infrastructure. The result is a threat detection and response solution which looks for evidence of probing/reconnaissance by the cyber-criminal, preparation for attack, actual attack and penetration, specifically targeting the low voltage smart grid.

The outcome is improved reaction times for the energy industry to changes in threat level, actual attacks, and successful breaches. Faster response means more attacks can be blunted before they do damage, and better control and containment of damage from successful attacks.

“Our plan is to have over one million smart meters protected with Grid Watch threat detection and response by mid-2021”, says David Thomson, CEO of NES. “This is an important milestone, but only a start. We are demonstrating the importance of these solutions in the global rollout of smart meters and how they help our customers stay ahead of the growing threat from organized crime and hostile nation states.”

“We should think of our home security when we think of cyber-security”, explains Jon Wells, VP Customer Solutions. “Regulation and protection are like the locks on our doors and windows – they are important, effective, but only a barrier. Threat detection and response allow the energy industry to become more proactive and develop real deterrents for the cyber-criminals. It is like outside security lighting, smart doorbells and burglar alarms – these can expose the activities of the criminal, create bodies of evidence and lead to capture.”

About Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES)

Networked Energy Services Corporation is a global smart energy leader in the worldwide transformation of the electricity grid into an energy control network, enabling utilities to provide their customers with a more efficient and reliable service, to protect their systems from current and emerging cybersecurity threats, and to offer innovative new services that enable active, intelligent use of energy. NES was formed as a result of the spinoff of Echelon Corporation’s Grid Modernization Division in October 2014. NES is headquartered in the US with R&D centers located in Silicon Valley and Poland, and sales offices throughout the world. NES’ smart grid technology is used in nearly 40 million smart meters and other smart end devices around the world. NES is a member of the OSGP Alliance, a global association of utilities and smart grid companies, which promotes the Open Smart Grid Protocol and cooperates to provide utilities greater value by enabling true, independently-certified, multi-vendor interoperability based upon open international specifications and standards.  You can find out more information about NES, its Patagonia Energy Applications Platform^TM (including grid management and security software, distributed control nodes, and smart meters) and services at: www.networkedenergy.com.