Schneider Electric and Claroty launch building security solution

Schneider Electric has announced the launch of Cybersecurity Solutions for Buildings, a solution designed to help buildings customers secure their building management systems (BMS) to better protect people, assets and operations.

The joint solution with Claroty, the security company for cyber-physical systems across industrial, healthcare and commercial environments, will combine the organisation's technology with Schneider Electric industry expertise and services to identify all facility-wide assets, deliver risk and vulnerability management capabilities, and provide continuous threat monitoring to protect enterprise investments.

It includes following steps: asset discovery, risk assessment, remote access control, threat detection and response, and is designed to give building owners, facility operators and security teams a solution that identifies baseline risks, continually reduces both cyber and asset risks, and identifies and remediates threats in their environment before services are interrupted.

Key capabilities include:

• A vendor agnostic solution for facility managers, with which they can fulfil secure remote access, asset inventory, efficiency and other related requirements from building owners and asset managers.
• Automated asset discovery and network mapping solution that identifies and catalogues all system assets (BMS, IoT, UPS, Power Systems, etc.).
• A continuous threat detection solution that constantly monitors buildings networks to identify, assess and alert at the earliest indicators of network and asset level anomalies.
• External, secure tunnels for vendors of smart building assets and systems, to connect to and maintain specific resources and assets in the building network and without introducing additional risk.
• Dashboards and reporting capabilities to enable management and security teams to understand current situations, receive tailored recommendations, and drive the proper actions to reduce a building's exposure to safety, operational, financial and reputational risks.
• A secure remote access (SRA) solution that is purpose-built for buildings and OT environments to increase building security when vendors, contractors, and technicians are performing remote maintenance activities.

According to Schneider Electric, cyber attacks have already harmed several businesses, including critical infrastructure such as hospitals, data centres and hotels.

The commercial building sector must find ways to safeguard both its access to the company's IT systems as well as its mission-critical infrastructure, the company states.

Schneider Electric vice president digital enterprise solutions, Annick Villeneuve says, "The integration of IoT in buildings is sparking an exciting shift across the sector, but like with any innovation, it also presents new risks.

"For threat actors looking to disrupt operations, benefit financially and/or achieve other objectives, and in so doing to put individuals at risk, buildings can appear to be the perfect target.

"It is with this in mind that we are partnering with Claroty to bring our customers a comprehensive, industry-leading solution that meets the unique security and operational risks facing buildings of today and of the future.

As more and more IoT devices are deployed within the buildings space and increased connectivity between previously isolated operational technology, building management systems (BMS), and their IT counterparts, have made them attractive targets and vulnerable to cyber attacks, the company states.

Additionally, facility managers oversee hundreds of vendors, service contractors, and technicians in a fragmented manner, increasing complexity and risk.

Claroty vice president of worldwide channels and alliances, Keith Carter, says, "When it comes to securing cyber-physical systems, including BMS, the number one priority is to keep physical processes operational and  safe.

"By fusing Claroty's deep domain expertise and purpose-built technology with Schneider Electric's renowned services and commitment to driving digital transformation globally, we are empowering our customers to reap the benefits of smart building technologies without increasing their exposure to cyber risk, thereby taking a profound step toward creating a more efficient, sustainable future for the world.