Energy companies face a variety of cybersecurity concerns due to the critical nature of their operations and the potential impact of disruptions.
A large Canadian energy company, with operations across the globe and almost 2,500 employees, has partnered with Difenda to implement a custom cybersecurity strategy tailored for the energy sector.
The energy company found themselves in a critical phase of rapid organizational and infrastructural expansion. With a growing employee count, they faced the daunting task of maturing their cybersecurity measures amidst a period of organic and inorganic growth.
The internal team was significantly under-resourced, leading to an incident prior to engaging with Difenda. This incident highlighted the urgent need for enhanced energy security measures. Despite using Microsoft technologies, their lack of a SIEM system led to siloed, manual operations that heightened their risk exposure. Their need was clear: a 24/7 cybersecurity solution that could integrate seamlessly with their existing Microsoft infrastructure and scale according to their changing business demands.
Through Difenda’s MXDR and AIRO services, the company has enhanced its overall security operations. Saving the team hours of manual efforts previously handled by their limited staff.
Our comprehensive MXDR solution involved deploying Microsoft Sentinel and tailoring it to enhance automation and ensure round-the-clock monitoring. This approach significantly relieved the company’s limited IT staff, who previously spent countless hours managing security tasks manually
The transformation was profound. The energy company now benefits from a fully integrated cybersecurity framework that fits seamlessly with their Microsoft infrastructure that scales effortlessly with their growth. This integration has brought about a significant reduction in risk and has enhanced the overall security posture of the company.
The cybersecurity challenges facing the energy sector are significant. According to IEA, “the threat of cyberattack on electrical systems is substantial and growing. Threat actors are becoming increasingly sophisticated at carrying out attacks in their destructive capabilities and their ability to identify vulnerabilities.” In fact, IBM reported that the average cyber-attack in the global energy sector costs over US$4.72m.
To address these threats, new White House national cybersecurity strategy asks energy companies to build proactive security solutions to create “a new generation of interconnected hardware and software.” However, these legislative efforts still leave industry gaps. Many energy companies rely on legacy technologies to connect and manage key operational components. These solutions were never designed to interface with modern applications and services. Meaning the implementation of future-proof cybersecurity operations requires the complete removal and replacement of these systems. Through a technology consolidation approach like the one outlined above.
A Secure Path Forward
By partnering with Difenda, this growing energy company has significantly enhanced its cybersecurity infrastructure to meet the demands of a rapidly expanding global enterprise. The implementation of Difenda MXDR, particularly through the integration of Microsoft Sentinel, has transformed their energy security operations from a fragmented, manual process to an automated, cohesive system. This shift has not only improved operational efficiency but also reduced alert fatigue among the team.
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Finaly, cybersecurity monitoring is somebody else’s job
Sources
https://securityintelligence.com/articles/2022-industry-threat-recap-energy/
https://cybermagazine.com/articles/protecting-the-energy-sector-using-proactive-intelligence