How Rapac Energy Saved Weeks of Work Securing Its OT Systems With Cyolo

Secure Global Access for Business Continuity

A leading power plant operator, Rapac Energy, was looking to securely provide access to their OT and SCADA systems to external suppliers, global support teams and customers. The new solution had to provide multiple security features that comply with stringent requirements, both regulatory and directed by Rapac Energy’s CISO.

Rapac Energy’s network is isolated and disconnected from the public internet. Yet, employees need to connect with external global support teams and customers. Rapac partners with Siemens Energy service teams in Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic. These teams provide online support to the power plants. In addition, Rapac’s customers need visibility into the plant’s data, for example to monitor their levels of electricity consumption.

This need became especially pressing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Support teams that previously flew in from Europe to visit the plants on-premises were grounded. Yet, Rapac Energy’s operation team still required a continuous line of communication with them and the ability to work simultaneously. The solutions they were using in the meantime, like video calls, were slow and unreliable. Actions and changes took days instead of seconds.

Therefore, Rapac’s network security access requirements were both external and internal: including features like two-factor authentication (2FA) before entering the network, and auditing and session recording inside the network.

An Agile VPN Replacement for Secure Remote Access

Rapac Energy had used a virtual private network (VPN) in the past, but access was slow, usage was bulky, and employees were frustrated. Prior to discovering Cyolo, Rapac’s CISO believed he would have to build the solution he needed by stringing together multiple applications and systems. From his past experience, he knew this could create a lot of friction and was not guaranteed to work.

Top Challenges to Solve

• Finding a single solution to provide secure access to all environments, including OT and SCADA systems

• Secure access for third parties and customers around the world

• Recording and auditing of user sessions

• One tool to remotely connect employees, third party suppliers and customers

• One tool that provides a secure solution for both IT and OT

• Simple usage and management

A Simple and Complete Solution for All Access Scenarios

Rapac Energy chose Cyolo as a single complete, extensive and simple solution to solve its access and connectivity challenges. Cyolo ensures secure remote access from Rapac Energy’s isolated networks to external users, including global support teams and customers. Notably, Cyolo is also used internally to ensure zero-trust access between systems and applications for employees.

Rapac Energy’s system cannot be connected to the internet for security and compliance reasons. Regulations require 2FA authentication, recording abilities, and control over each connection. This is where Cyolo's true value is revealed. The external support teams and users connect to Rapac Energy’s external network through a VPN. From the external network they pass through Cyolo, where they are authenticated. Only devices and identities that have been authorized enter Rapac Energy’s network. No tunneling takes place and no other incoming traffic enters the isolated network.

Quickest Implementation in Rapac History

The entire implementation process, including systems training and cyber supporters at Rapac Energy, took only one day. This was the shortest implementation Rapac Energy had ever experienced. User training for remote work took place via a clear and concise email.

Outcome

• Hundreds of happy global users connecting securely

• Hundreds of thousands of dollars saved

• Improved security posture while ensuring an awesome user experience

• Business continuity, including during the difficult Covid-19 period

Happy Global Users and Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Saved

Cyolo is deployed globally among a large number of users. These include third parties, customers and employees, who enjoy the security of zero trust access to Rapac Energy’s network, without affecting business continuity. Cyolo is used on a daily basis among users, who report high levels of satisfaction and ease of use.

Rapac Uses Cyolo's Many Features for a Variety of Needs

New Applications: Administrators can build and operate new applications for systems in five minutes.

Requesting Access: Users can clearly view which applications they have access to. If they need access to another app, they can easily request access.

Providing Access: Admins can quickly and easily manage user access and policies to connect employees to applications. The process is quick and easy, and the employees are satisfied, ensuring business continuity.

Strong Authentication: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) was enabled to protect the network from unauthorized access. Zero trust is used to ensure the security of the internal systems and apps as well.

Monitoring: CISOs and security managers use Cyolo’s dashboard to get a clear view of metrics. They can monitor logins, user locations, app usage, access logs, and more.

Auditing and Recording: The recording of any user can be accessed and viewed at any time. For example, an administer in Israel can view the actions taken by a support member from Germany.

Easy Usage: Cyolo is accessible through a web application. This is simple and convenient. Employees are thrilled about being able to connect through a URL link without any change to their normal routines.