Securing critical IT infrastructures has become increasingly challenging due to a range of factors. One of the biggest challenges is the sheer complexity and interconnectedness of modern IT systems. This is in addition to the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. As the demand for cybersecurity expertise continues to grow, it can be difficult for organizations to find and retain the talent they need to keep their systems secure. Especially due to the shortage of experienced OT (operational technology) cybersecurity professionals, making this a significant security challenge for many organizations. OT systems, such as those used in manufacturing plants, process control, energy grids, and transportation systems, are increasingly connected to IT networks, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Businesses also find it a tough task to find the right solution that fits their needs as there are numerous solutions in the market, each with different features. This creates the need for a powerful and experienced security partner, just like Asset Guardian—a solution to manage the software and hardware configurations of safety and critical control systems. Asset Guardian Solutions is the partner of choice for many leading organizations across the world when it comes to safeguarding process control software assets.
What makes the company stand out is not only its OT expertise and a customer-centric team but also the company’s unique capability to add vulnerability data without the use of any hardware. The company utilizes software and hardware configuration data contained within an AG system to perform this operation. In fact, Asset Guardian automatically identifies the software components that are at risk, and their location, and notifies nominated personnel that there is an issue. “Our solution does this by receiving regular advisories from the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The process of mitigating vulnerabilities is fully managed, monitored, and reported from within AG. Significant time and cost savings are being achieved by our customers with this enhanced function, but most important of all, they can rebuild their control systems quickly and easily in the event of a ransomware attack,” explains Ewan McAllister, CEO, Asset Guardian.
Asset Guardian’s solutions are designed to safely manage the security and integrity of its clients operational OT devices, inventory data, and associated software back-ups. Streamlining the process, the solution enables data to be easily accessible in one central repository, which can be fully customized to reflect existing workflows, whilst meeting the engineering standards, industry guidelines, and regulatory requirements. This way, it seamlessly reduces the risk of unauthorized entry by allowing the required updates to be crosschecked with the customer’s asset inventory highlighting the actions that need to be taken to keep their systems secure.
The development of the Asset Guardian software began more than two decades ago when a group of innovative, experienced control system engineers was tasked by a major power generation company to develop a tool capable of organizing and managing the changes made to an industrial control system, as the result of a major upgrade. These same engineers are still employed by Asset Guardian Solutions Limited.
Asset Guardian was originally built to help companies comply with ISO 9001, to implement and maintain a Quality Management System for their OT systems. Since this the company has developed the solution to help several businesses meet the various regulations that govern the safety and continuity of OT, whilst keeping compliance at the core of the company. Today it supports customers in several industry sectors, including oil & gas upstream, midstream, and downstream; nuclear and conventional power generation; renewables; the chemical process industries and pharmaceuticals; in addition to several others. As part of its growth plans, the company today is expanding its global footprint while creating innovations with a new set of partner ecosystems.
Company:
Asset Guardian
Quote:
“The process of mitigating vulnerabilities is fully managed, monitored, and reported from within AG. Significant time and cost savings are being achieved by our customers with this enhanced function, but most important of all, they can rebuild their control systems quickly and easily in the event of a ransomware attack”
