Increased Security Infrastructure for the Smart Grid

Advanced security and compliance tools enable utility deployment of integrated metering, communications and distribution automation solutions with confidence

Elster  and Industrial Defender has announced a technology partnership for cyber security and compliance with Elster's EnergyAxis® advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) Smart Grid solution. This announcement was made in San Diego at the DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition, a leading annual Smart Grid and transmission-and-distribution event.

Industrial Defender's capabilities add to the robust security already embedded in EnergyAxis 7.5. Enhancements include advanced security intrusion detection and prevention at the end-point, server, perimeter and network levels, and high-availability centralized applications for monitoring, analysis, records management and compliance reporting.

The integration comprises the entire EnergyAxis solution. It also includes meters, networking devices, meter data management (MDM) servers, distribution automation (DA) servers, workstations and other devices. While EnergyAxis 7.5 already has secure technologies, including individual key management, the added Industrial Defender capabilities now support comprehensive situational awareness and security process automation across an entire AMI and DA infrastructure.

The partnership integrates security technologies into EnergyAxis, and creates a focused sales and service solution offering from Elster. This combination offers utilities a complete and accountable single source for reliable and compliant intelligent metering and distribution automation requirements.

"Cyber security is complex and multifaceted. By building individual key management and other security features into EnergyAxis 7.5, and integrating the enhanced applications offered by Industrial Defender, Elster continues to lead the way in creating secure, reliable infrastructure and proven Smart Grid solutions," said David Hart, Ph.D., senior vice president of systems and products at Elster Solutions.

"With Industrial Defender, we have found a partner that brings an extremely broad armament of security tools together on an integrated, utility-centric and utility-friendly basis," Hart added.

"The level of understanding and concern regarding threats to critical infrastructure and intelligent utility systems has increased among utility planners, suppliers, standards groups and regulators," said Brian Ahern, CEO of Industrial Defender. "By stepping up to create an integrated solution that incorporates comprehensive security and compliance capabilities, Elster is helping utilities get past the complexity and challenges of technology integration and move forward to take advantage of new business opportunities presented by the Smart Grid."