Private 4G/5G security startup OneLayer has followed tie-ups with key network vendors Nokia and Ericsson with a multi-year deal with US investor-owned energy provider Evergy to manage and secure OT assets on its private cellular network. Evergy, based in Kentucky in the US, has selected its OneLayer Bridge private network device management and zero-trust security platform to manage OT and IoT devices on its new private LTE network.
Earlier this month, OneLayer said it had installed Finnish network vendor Nokia’s key Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) system at its private network security lab. Curiously, there is no (easily available) reference in the firm’s press materials, or in coverage on the internet, where the lab is, exactly – whether it is physically located at its headquarters in Tel Aviv, in Israel, or in Boston in the US – which features in datelines in its press materials.
It may also be a virtual test lab, available to customers for testing on-demand; coverage says it “acts as a digital twin to simulate specific threat scenarios”. The facility opened for security testing and research purposes in 2022, apparently; third-party coverage online lists Nokia, alongside Druid Software and Airspan Networks, as collaborators since at least March this year. The new press note about Nokia may refer to a closer collaboration.
OneLayer, operating in the buzzy cybersecurity realm in the private 5G sector, and listed twice lately in Gartner’s ‘hype-cycle’ reports (for automation in the comms industry and service provider operations), is working with Ericsson, too, which is gearing up for a major cybersecurity play in the private 5G market through the second half of 2024. Ericsson tapped OneLayer in February to secure a private LTE network at its ‘utilities innovation centre’ in Texas.
Ericsson is also the author of Evergy’s private LTE setup. Evergy has completed its private LTE testing, and is readying a “comprehensive rollout for operational use” Whatever; the point of this reportage and speculation is that the firm is gathering deals and relationships. Evergy is deploying the OneLayer Bridge product to secure IoT and OT devices in its office facilities and electricity grid in the US.
It expects to have “tens of thousands” of sensor devices in the “next few years”, and is “projected” to make “substantial savings” in asset management, operations management, and network management, said OneLayer. A statement said: “OneLayer provides end-to-end zero-trust security that seamlessly extends Evergy’s existing security frameworks, established segmentation standards and regulatory requirements to the private LTE domain.”
It continued: “OneLayer Bridge’s OT/IoT asset discovery and tracking, geofencing, anomaly detection and mitigation functionalities significantly reduce Evergy’s attack surface and enable swift remediation of any potential problems… OneLayer’s asset management capabilities enhance operational efficiency by automating device onboarding, provisioning, profiling, classifying and activation.
“OneLayer enables delegating onboarding steps to different teams, enabling Evergy to scale its network effectively by creating autonomy for different teams… Visibility and tracking of every device connected to the network – even non-cellular devices connected via cellular routers – enable Evergy to assess performance and uptime, conduct vendor comparisons at scale, and adjust quality-of-service dynamically for different devices or situations.”
J.J. Stutler, manager for wireless engineering and operations at Evergy, said: “We needed a way to manage the growing number of OT devices using our private LTE network. We required automation and delegation of various device onboarding steps to different teams, alongside complete visibility to all devices… OneLayer did all of that, in addition to providing operations and security frameworks for our private LTE networks and connected devices.”
Dave Mor, chief executive at OneLayer, singled out the firm’s relationship with OneLayer. He said: “Our maintenance of strong relationships with private LTE vendors, like Ericsson and CPE vendors ensures continuous support for upgraded products and enhanced capabilities. This approach allows Evergy to benefit not only from existing efficiencies but also to stay prepared for evolving challenges and opportunities in the private LTE landscape.”
