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Rockwell buys OT cybersecurity firm to expand its portfolio
Rockwell Automation is buying the US industrial cybersecurity specialist Verve Industrial Protection, for an undisclosed sum. The deal will add asset inventory and vulnerability management systems to Rockwell’s portfolio.
Verve, founded almost 30 years ago as Rkneal, has a track record of more than 1,000 automation and control projects. Its Security Center is a vendor-neutral OT endpoint management platform that enables real-time asset inventory, vulnerability management, and risk remediation. Rockwell says it will strengthen its offerings and address these issues.
The platform provides IT-level security while addressing the unique challenges of the OT environment. The asset inventory system recognises all industrial assets, regardless of the supplier. The system communicates directly with these assets, gathering critical information without affecting network performance or interrupting production.
The platform aggregates a wide range of data sources, including Rockwell partner technologies, into its platform as “a single pane of glass” that provides actionable insights for users to address their highest risk assets.
“The foundation of OT cybersecurity starts with visibility into assets – you can’t protect what you don’t know you have,” says Matt Fordenwalt, Rockwell’s senior vice-president for Lifecycle Services. “This continues to be a critical challenge for manufacturers.
“With the Verve acquisition, our customers can quickly assess their assets, prioritise risk, and apply counter-measures to mitigate vulnerabilities – all within a single platform. The addition of Verve to our suite of solutions allows customers to further build resiliency and continuously improve the security, safety, and availability of their operations.”
In a recent study, Rockwell found that OT (operational technology) and ICS (industrial control systems) attacks are on the rise, with 60% of incidents resulting in disruption to operations. As companies install hardware and software alongside legacy equipment, many are struggling to manage and protect these assets across an expanded attack surface, increasing their vulnerability to cyber-attacks.
“We are excited about the opportunity to join Rockwell, the leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, to further secure manufacturers’ assets around the world,” says Verve Industrial CEO, John Livingston. “Our platform has helped clients mitigate thousands of vulnerabilities and is an important addition to Rockwell’s OT cybersecurity solutions, providing actionable intelligence to quickly mitigate cybersecurity risks, so that manufacturing facilities can stay up and running.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of Rockwell’s 2024 fiscal year. Verve will report to Rockwell’s Lifecycle Services business.
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