Waterfall Security Granted Patent for Secure Implementation of Network-Based Sensors

TEL AVIV, Israel, September 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The United States Patent Office has granted Waterfall Security Solutions Ltd., the leading provider of Unidirectional Security Gateways™ for critical infrastructure networks, patent 8,223,205 for "A Secure Implementation of Network-Based Sensors." The patent describes how to feed data from network-based security sensors, such as video cameras on control system networks, into security operations centers on less-secure networks, without introducing any threat to the safety or reliability of the sensor network itself.

"Network-based security sensors and especially video sensors are increasingly part of sophisticated defense-in-depth cyber-security measures at industrial sites," reports Andrew Ginter, Waterfall's Director of Industrial Security. "Couple this trend with the trend towards centralized, cloud-based and out-sourced Security Operations Centers and you have a problem. With conventional firewall-based security, every communications channel out of a secure control-system network is also an attack channel back into that network. Putting the safety and reliability of industrial networks at risk, just so you can monitor those sites centrally, is not a good trade-off."

The patent describes how to send security sensor data, such as video data, out of safety-critical and reliability-critical networks using Unidirectional Security Gateways. The hardware-enforced gateways allow the data to reach central monitoring sites and out-sourced monitoring sites without introducing any risk to the originating network. The unidirectional hardware permits video data and other data to leave a protected network, but allows no signal whatsoever back into the network.

Video feeds in particular are used increasingly in industrial networks. Remote, un-staffed sites are often monitored via video, as are locations where members of the public are part of the physical process, such as airports, subway stations, and vehicular traffic monitoring. These video feeds may be monitored in a variety of locations - some secure and some less so. Some video feeds may be made available routinely to members of the public over the Internet for example. When video feeds are made available to viewers in less-secure networks, it is important to protect the integrity of the original video sensor, and of any other sensing or control equipment on the same network as the video sensor.  Hardware-enforced Unidirectional Security Gateways allow security sensor data to be shared, without putting the originating sensors and networks at risk.

"Waterfall is pioneering unidirectional protection of industrial sites and networks," adds Lior Frenkel, CEO and Co-Founder of Waterfall Security Solutions. "Our development teams are constantly adding to our suite of unidirectional security products, and our patents speak for themselves."

About Waterfall® Security Solutions:

Waterfall Security Solutions Ltd. is the leading provider of Unidirectional Security Gateways™ and data diodes for industrial control networks and critical infrastructures. Waterfall's Unidirectional Gateways reduce the cost and complexity of compliance with NERC-CIP, NRC, NIST, CFATS and other regulations, as well as with cyber-security best practices. Waterfall's products are deployed in utilities and critical national infrastructures throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Israel. Frost & Sullivan describe Waterfall's solutions as ensuring "optimum security for networks across user verticals" and awarded Waterfall the 2012 Network Security Award for Industrial Control Systems Entrepreneurial Company of the Year. Waterfall's offerings include support for leading industrial applications, including the OSIsoft PI™ Historian, the GE Proficy™ iHistorian, Siemens SIMATIC™/Spectrum™ solutions and GE OSM™ remote monitoring platforms, as well as OPC, Modbus, DNP3, ICCP and other industrial protocols. More information about Waterfall can be found on the company's website at: http://www.waterfall-security.com.

SOURCE Waterfall Solutions Ltd