CASE STUDY
Challenge
Critical infrastructure industries like water and wastewater are under threat of cyber-attacks. They need guidance to mitigate immediate risks. Establishing long-term cybersecurity strategies is another vital priority. A municipality with 12 wastewater facilities contracted Wesco as part of an integrated service contract to conduct a network health check. The goal was to identify potential security risks and network issues.
Solutions
During the network health check, Wesco’s Network IoT engineer discovered over 500 vulnerabilities in the packet capture and a physical security vulnerability — all of which were unknown to the customer. These findings prompted the CFO to move the planned network upgrade from 2024 to 2023 to address these vulnerabilities and improve overall performance. Wesco collaborated with Cisco to provide network design and documentation to support an application for federal funding. The project was awarded to Wesco in September, with funding approved for purchase in 2023. Wesco leveraged Rockwell Automation’s Compact Logix and Stratix switches to improve network robustness and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Wesco’s solutions allowed the business to:
- Achieve their goals of improving network robustness and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities
- Resulted in cost reductions and increased productivity
- Drive innovation by securing funding for the upgrade
- Ensured the safety and cleanliness of the local water supply
Results
Wesco’s solution allowed the customer to achieve their business goals by improving network robustness and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. This resulted in cost reductions and increased productivity. It also enabled the customer to secure funding for the upgrade, which allowed them to drive innovation through advanced technology. The project had a significant social and environmental impact as it ensured the safety and cleanliness of the local water supply.
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