Emerson, Symantec in cyber-security link
30 May 2006
Under the deal, Emerson's Power & Water Solutions industry centre will offer customers three Symantec security products that have been validated specifically to operate with the Ovation system. The products are to be based on Emerson's Ovation expert control system.
According to Emerson, Ovation, which powers the company’s PlantWeb digital plant architecture, includes embedded tools and applications for the particular needs of the power industry. The Ovation system, it noted, is used on power facilities that generate 35% of US electricity supply.
Symantec’s offerings will help Ovation customers comply with industry regulations and standards, continued Emerson. These, it said, include the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards, which becomes effective 1 June.
The new NERC standards cover the identification and protection of critical cyber assets, including computers, software, SCADA and process control systems as well as networks that support those systems.
The deal shows Emerson’s commitment “to arm our customers with the products and services they need to continue to operate their plants securely and reliably,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s Power & Water Solutions division.
“Our combined expertise will provide electric power companies engaged in the power generation area with a tested and validated layer of protection and will help them comply with new industry regulations and standards,” added Gary Sevounts, senior director of industry solutions at Symantec.
The cyber-security tools, which have been fully validated for Ovation, include Symantec’s AntiVirus Software and Gateway Security 5600 Series appliances, which include full inspection firewall technology, intrusion prevention, and URL-based content filtering, antispam and private networking technology.
