MANSFIELD, MA, & MOUNTAINVIEW, CA, Jan. 9, 2006 -- Verano Inc., the leading provider of security and SCADA solutions for mission-critical industries, and Counterpane Internet Security, a leading managed security company and authority on enterprise security systems, today announced a strategic alliance to deliver a cybersecurity monitoring service to protect against vulnerabilities in the control environment.
"We understand how crucial it is for utility operations to run efficiently and without interruption at every level. Integrating Verano's Industrial Defender into our security operations center provides customers with a proactive and consistent monitoring and reporting solution necessary in today's real-time control environments," said Paul Stich, president and CEO of Counterpane Internet Security. "By adopting this comprehensive offering, utilities can also effectively comply with recent security standards implemented by NERC CIP."
NERC is the North American Electric Reliability Council (www.nerc.com). Its Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Committee (www.nerc.com/~filez/cip.html) has been working on enhancing standards to eliminate vulnerabilities in SCADA systems that control critical infrastructure such as water, gas and electricity systems.
Recent advancements to Verano's Industrial Defender, such as enhanced security agents, customizable reporting and increased scalability, combined with Counterpane's unmatched expertise in data monitoring, enable customers to achieve safe control systems and networks without compromising performance. Industrial Defender is the only security appliance to provide this high standard of protection, without impacting availability or reliability of critical SCADA and DCS assets.
"Until recently, mission-critical industries, including power transmission and distribution, water distribution and treatment, gas and liquid pipelines, mass transit systems and power generation companies, have not benefited from a comprehensive security monitoring service," said Brian Ahern, president and CEO of Verano. "Counterpane's security monitoring expertise complements our Industrial Defender offering for the real-time control environment, enabling operations personnel to focus on critical asset availability and reliability, while providing consistent protection from cybersecurity threats. In addition, utilities that demand enterprise and control environment cybersecurity monitoring can now benefit from an end-to-end solution offered by one service provider."
Counterpane (www.counterpane.com) is a leading protector of networked information ¿ the inventor of outsourced security monitoring and an authority on effective mitigation of emerging IT threats. With the most comprehensive view available of global information security events, Counterpane offers customers the earliest possible warning of internal or external threats to their information security and availability, as well as the expert counsel required to successfully mitigate such threats. Counterpane's managed service model and technology products provide information-intensive organizations the security they require to collaborate with ever-increasing numbers of partners, customers, suppliers, investors and government regulators. The company is privately held with headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
Verano Inc. (www.verano.com) is a leading provider of security and SCADA solutions for mission-critical industries. Verano is a trusted supplier to more than 220 industrial enterprises in power generation, utilities, energy, transportation and process manufacturing industries. These customers represent more than 2,200 global system installations. A privately held company founded in 1996, Verano has headquarters in Mansfield, Mass., with a major operation in Calgary, Canada.
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