“Solution centered. Partner focused.” That’s how T5 Group, a TXOne Certified Partner, describes itself. T5 Group is an asset management company that digitizes and modernizes plants in heavy industries.
“We get our customers into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) world with equipment that was not intended to be there. So really, bringing customers in paper and pulp, oil and gas, and coal, for example, into this 21st-century landscape,” said Nick Losee, T5 Group’s director of technology. “We help them migrate from paper to digital and with data collection by adapting equipment that was not originally built to transmit data to be able to do it automatically.”
This allows T5 Group to provide a highly valued customer service, condition monitoring of their equipment. Condition monitoring uses real-time data collection to safeguard equipment and systems, keep them operational, and extend their lifespans.
“Condition monitoring is where companies see the most value. They have T5 Group take older equipment that was not built for condition monitoring and set it up to send notifications and trigger alarms when needed,” said Nick.
TXOne Added a New Dimension: Security Condition Monitoring and Response
It’s almost a given that equipment that wasn’t built for condition monitoring wasn’t built for security, either, which was becoming an issue for a number of customers.
“A lot of the solutions we provide come from a market need, and the OT cybersecurity world is now on people’s radar with the exponentially increasing number of attacks over the last 13 years,” Nick said. “And a lot of our customers are starting to understand the security landscape and the risks.”
“We knew TXOne is cutting edge in the OT security landscape, which is where a lot of our implementations and customizations are, and we needed a partner who could help with that,” he added.
“So, with the TXOne partnership, we have condition monitoring on the process side and the maintenance and reliability side. But now, we’re able to do that with the security of their equipment,” Nick explained. “TXOne’s technology lets us take what we’re already doing and add security condition monitoring with real-time reporting and security breach prevention.”
TXOne also helps T5 Group enlighten customers who have not yet turned their attention to OT cybersecurity. “We’re actually bringing that education to them. With TXOne, we can show them a kind of framework for OT risks. But more importantly,” Nick said, “when we come in to do assessments of their OT environments, we can also provide them with a solution.”
Keeping Customers in the Know
“The most interesting thing about the OT environment is that you have these networks in control of production. And with that, there’s also a higher level of meaning and risk because you’re dealing with the safety and quality of the product. So the stakes are just higher in OT,” Nick stated. But even with all the risks of ignoring OT security, he would rather educate customers in a real way rather than scare them into acting.
“Given the industries we work in, we want to keep our customers from getting bitten,” Nick said. “And to be candid, a lot of people don’t know that there’s a problem. But we don’t want to present it from a point of fear. We believe in a proactive mindset to help people understand the importance of securing their network.”
It can be even more challenging when people believe they’re already secure or it’s just not a topic of importance. “But it is an important topic, so we’re putting it on their radar as we do assessments. We try to create a zero trust mindset, where everything that’s on your network is known and seen, and you’re not assuming that Level 2, Level 1, and Level 0 of your OT environment are protected. You can’t assume. You have to know.”
Another challenge is the common belief that OT cybersecurity must be someone else’s responsibility. Many are quick to say the decision falls to corporate IT even though OT requires a different area of expertise.
“But your process control network is a part of your production environment,” Nick stated, “and the supervisors and superintendents do have control over their own area. So, they can put protections in place, even at a small scale, just to ensure that their equipment is protected.”
Provided, of course, they have an implementable solution that won’t interrupt operations.
Solutions That “Just Sit on the Network. And Learn.”
There are many misconceptions about OT security, but the one that Nick really wants to clear up is the idea that it’s hugely complicated or undoable. “People should understand how simple it is to put protections in place,” he said. “One of the reasons we partnered with TXOne is that they have very simple hardware solutions that can just sit on your network and learn. And then take follow-up actions to keep networks secure,” he added, referring to TXOne’s Edge and Stellar products specifically.
And whether customers need help understanding that there is a problem, or they do understand but can’t see a solution, Nick’s message is the same. “It can then be a simple trajectory to having a secure OT environment that’s not overly complex to achieve. We do the assessment, create visualizations, and then bring the solutions that customers need.”
At T5 Group OT Cybersecurity, you can learn more about T5 Group and OT Security Condition Monitoring using TXOne OT-specific solutions.
