Unpacking the channel’s role in securing Australia’s utilities
By Bryan Stibbard, Director – Channels and Alliances AN/Z at Palo Alto Networks The recent electricity market wobbles have unveiled a level of fragility among some of Australia’s largest utility operators that have surprised many, but this is nothing compared to the potential problems presented by the cyber threat landscape. Operators of utilities and other critical infrastructure around the world have increasingly been targeted by malicious actors, and Australia is not immune from this trend. As recently as April this year, the cybersecurity authorities of Australia, the US, Canada, New Zealand and the UK advised critical infrastructure organisations to implement immediate measures to protect against Russian state-sponsored and criminal cyber threats as the war in Ukraine raged. Not only have such threats demonstrated the rising role that so-called Industry 4.0 technology is playing in the lives of the country and its people, they have also opened a new door of opportunity for channel partners in the local market. It’s no secret that cyber security has quickly become a big ticket item for channel partners around the country. Over the past two years many managed service providers (MSPs) have found themselves building out managed security services in addition to their core offering in order to meet evolving customer demand in this area. With the emergence of Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution, marked by the incorporation of connected ‘smart’ equipment – even more opportunities are emerging for partners willing to embrace cyber security as a source of growth for their businesses. There are legitimate security challenges resulting from the rise of Industry 4.0 technology in industry. Industry 4.0 businesses are highly automated, digital first businesses. This means any disruption to their digital systems, especially from a cyber incident, can have a material impact to the organisation as a whole. Operational […]