oil pipelines – Waterfall Security Solutions https://waterfall-security.com Unbreachable OT security, unlimited OT connectivity Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:36:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://waterfall-security.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/cropped-favicon2-2-32x32.png oil pipelines – Waterfall Security Solutions https://waterfall-security.com 32 32 Enabling The Digital Refinery https://waterfall-security.com/ot-insights-center/oil-gas/enabling-the-digital-refinery/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:59:00 +0000 https://waterfall-security.com/?p=10502 Protecting critical equipment of a highly sensitive petrochemicals processing plant, while improving production performance with real-time, actionable, and predictive analytics.

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OT Insights CenterOil and GasEnabling The Digital Refinery

Enabling The Digital Refinery

Protecting The Refining & Petrochemical Industry From Evolving Cyber Threats
Enabling The Digital Refinery
Customer/ Partner:

North American Petrochemical Refinery.

Customer Requirement:

To protect critical equipment and on-going productivity of a highly sensitive production environment involving the processing of petrochemicals, while at the same time improve the performance of plant production with real-time, actionable and predictive analytics.

Waterfall’s Unidirectional Solution:

Secure the production environment perimeter from external threats and provide real-time enterprise visibility – Unidirectional Security Gateways protect all industrial control systems (DCS, individual controllers and logic controllers) with an impassable physical barrier to external network threats, while enabling enterprise access to real-time production data.

Refining & Petrochemicals Processing Modernization And Containing Remote Cyber Threats

The energy industry has become the second most prone to cyber attacks with nearly three-quarters of U.S. oil & gas companies experiencing at least one cyber incident. Remote cyber attacks on oil and gas refining & production can result in severe consequences to human and environmental safety in the form of ruptures, explosions, fires, releases, and spills. In addition, disruption of service and deliverability can be devastating for key infrastructure end users such as power plants, airports or national defense.

The Challenge icon
The challenge

To secure the safe, reliable and continuous operation of oil & gas processing control and safety networks from threats emanating from less trusted external networks. At the same time provide real-time access to operations data to the enterprise users and applications, as well as provide periodic and on-demand inbound access for anti-virus and other updates to turbine vendors and other third parties.

Waterfall solution - icon
Waterfall solution

A Waterfall Unidirectional Gateway was installed between the process control network (PCN) and the enterprise network. Unidirectional Gateway software connectors replicate OSISoft PI, GE OSM and ICCP servers from the PCN to the enterprise network where enterprise clients can interact normally and bi-directionally with the replicas. A file server replication connector was also deployed, to eliminate the routine use of USB drives and other removable media. A Waterfall FLIP, a hardware-enforced Unidirectional Security Gateway whose orientation is reversible, was also installed between the PCN and IT networks. By schedule, or by exception, an independent control mechanism inside the protected OT network triggers the FLIP hardware to change orientation, allowing information to flow back into the protected OT network as needed.

Results and benefits - icon
Results & benefits
  • 100% Security: With the gateways, the PCN is now physically protected from threats emanating from external, less-trusted networks. The FLIP permits disciplined, on-demand and scheduled updates of plant systems, without introducing firewall vulnerabilities.
  • 100% Visibility: The enterprise network continues to operate as if nothing has changed. Instead of accessing servers on the critical operational network, users on the external network now access real-time data from replicated servers for all informational and analytical requirements.
  • 100% Compliance: Unidirectional Gateways are recognized manufacturing cyber security standards as well as by global industrial control system cyber security standards and regulations.
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Theory of Operation
Click to enlarge

Waterfall Unidirectional Security Gateways replace firewalls in industrial network environments, providing absolute protection to control systems and operations networks from attacks originating on external networks. The Gateways enable vendor monitoring, industrial cloud services, and visibility into operations for modern enterprises and customers. Unidirectional Gateways replicate servers, emulate industrial devices and translate industrial data to cloud formats. As a result, Unidirectional Gateway technology represents a plug-andplay replacement for firewalls, without the vulnerabilities and maintenance issues that always accompany firewall deployments. Unidirectional Gateways contain both hardware and software components. The hardware components include a TX Module, containing a fiber-optic transmitter/ laser, and an RX Module, containing an optical receiver, but no laser. The gateway hardware can transmit information from an industrial network to an external network, but is physically incapable of propagating any virus, DOS attack, human error or any cyber attack at all back into the protected network.

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Unidirectional Security Gateways Benefits

arrow red rightSafe, continuous monitoring of critical systems

arrow red rightProtects product quality, safety of personnel, property and the environment

arrow red rightProtects safety and preventative maintenance systems of physical assets from remote Internet-based threats

arrow red rightSimplifies audits, change reviews, and security system documentation

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Disciplined, on-demand and scheduled updates of plant systems, without introducing firewall vulnerabilities

arrow red rightReplaces at least one layer of firewalls in a defense-in-depth architecture thereby breaking the chain of infection and pivoting attacks

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Global Cybersecurity Standards Recommend Unidirectional Security Gateways

Waterfall Security is the market leader in Unidirectional Gateway technology with installations at critical infrastructure sites across the globe. The enhanced level of protection provided by Waterfall’s Unidirectional Security Gateway technology is recognized as best practice by many leading industry standards bodies such as NIST, ANSSI, NERC, the IEC, the US DHS, ENISA and may more.

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]]> Protecting the GIPL pipeline https://waterfall-security.com/ot-insights-center/oil-gas/protecting-the-gipl-pipeline/ Thu, 08 Sep 2022 08:36:00 +0000 https://waterfall-security.com/?p=4860 Protecting operational data within the gas transmission SCADA system, while enabling safe visibility and exchange of operational data for both pipeline partners.

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OT Insights CenterOil and GasProtecting the GIPL pipeline

Protecting the GIPL pipeline

Waterfall teams with ELSIS TS to reinforce cybersecurity at gas interconnection Poland and Lithuania facilities
Customer/ Partner:

Lithuanian-based ICT and OT company ELSIS TS at GIPL sites

Customer Requirement:

Protecting operational data exchange within the gas transmission SCADA system, while enabling safe visibility and exchange of operational data for both pipeline partners.

Waterfall’s Unidirectional Solution:

Secures control system network perimeters from external threats with Unidirectional Security Gateways, enabling enterprise-wide visibility for operations status and key performance indicators as well as safe ICS network monitoring from a central enterprise SIEM.

Cross border pipeline infrastructure is facing real cyber threats

The Colonial Pipeline incident, Russian actions in the Ukraine, targeted ransomware actors and other threats have raised serious concerns about the cybersecurity of critical national infrastructures. This deployment of Unidirectional Gateways provides the world’s strongest protection from online attacks to this important natural gas interconnection.

The Challenge icon
The challenge

Secure the automation processes of the GIPL pipeline for the safe exchange of operational data between the gas transmission systems of the two countries, without posing risk to reliable, uninterrupted and efficient operation of the complex, transnational pipeline infrastructure. In addition, enable a central dispatch centre to remotely monitor and control process operations.

Waterfall solution - icon
Waterfall solution

Waterfall integrated Unidirectional Security Gateways to unidirectionally replicate gas metering and pressure reduction data between Polish and Lithuanian sites, without posing risk to process control networks. Unidirectional Gateways replicate industrial data to a central dispatch center to enable the safe exchange of data between geographically dispersed sites.

Results and benefits - icon
Results & benefits

Security: Unidirectional Gateways enabled the secure exchange of multisite operational data between countries. OT data replication provides strong assurance that no attack from the IT network can enter the operational network.

Simplicity: Unidirectional server replication makes the gateways easy to use. The unidirectional replicas are realtime participants in both source and destination networks.

Performance: Safe industrial data exchange for international pipeline infrastructure, not only optimizes business efficiencies, but ensures the security of critical resources.

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Theory of Operation
Click to enlarge

Waterfall Unidirectional Security Gateways replace firewalls in industrial network environments, providing absolute protection to control systems and industrial control networks from attacks originating from external less-trusted networks. Unidirectional Gateways contain both hardware and software components. The hardware components include a TX Module, containing a fiber-optic transmitter/ laser, and an RX Module, containing an optical receiver, but no laser. The gateway hardware can transmit information from an industrial network to an external network, but is physically incapable of propagating any virus, DOS attack, human error or any cyber attack at all back into the protected industrial network.

This deployment used two Unidirectional Security Gateways to enable safe control-system data exchange, external monitoring, and visibility into operations for the GIPL sites. Unidirectional Gateways replicate servers, emulate industrial devices and translate industrial data to cloud formats. Unidirectional Gateway technology represents a plug-and-play replacement for firewalls, without the vulnerabilities and maintenance issues that accompany firewall deployments.

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Unidirectional Security Gateways Benefits

arrow red rightSafe operational data exchange between geographically disparate facilities

arrow red rightSecure monitoring of operational data from less-secure, Internet-based networks

arrow red rightStrongest industrial security for automation processes and systems

arrow red rightSafe replication of critical data to enhance operational efficiencies

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Global Cybersecurity Standards Recommend Unidirectional Security Gateways

Waterfall Security is the market leader for Unidirectional Gateway technology with installations at critical infrastructure sites across the globe. The enhanced level of protection provided by Waterfall’s Unidirectional Security Gateway technology is recognized as best practice by leading industry standards bodies and authorities such as NIST, ANSSI, NERC CIP, the ISA, the US DHS, ENISA and many more.

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