Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) has selected N-Dimension Solutions’ N-Sentinel Monitoring to be deployed on its internal network to minimise cyber security risks.
VEC is the largest member-owned electric distribution cooperative in Vermont, US. It delivers safe, affordable, and reliable service to around 32,000 members across eight rural counties in the state.
N-Dimension's president and chief executive officer (CEO) Tom Ayers said: “Ongoing cyber threat vigilance of traffic inside the utility’s information technology (IT) network is essential as risks can often bypass perimeter security devices.
“Our managed service is an essential tool providing IT staff with visibility and cybersecurity intelligence guiding them to take timely actions.”
N-Sentinel Monitoring alerts IT to several cybersecurity issues, while providing in-depth insights to identify affected systems. The system also offers guidance on actions to be taken.
VEC's IT specialist Fred Wiseman said: “We have a perimeter firewall and intrusion protection system but it only monitors traffic coming in and going out of our network, not what’s going on inside of it.
“N-Sentinel Monitoring provides us with visibility into suspicious activities and provides the information we need to be proactive. It’s a solution every utility should consider. It’s easily installed, cost-effective, and is like having a cybersecurity expert on staff.”
VEC’s adoption of N-Sentinel Monitoring is a result of its participation in a project led by the Cooperative Research Network (CRN), the technology unit of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
The CRN project is focused on assessing the value of continuous network monitoring and cybersecurity community data.
