First RTUs with embedded security offer protection at network edges
13 August 2025 
Schneider Electric has joined forces with the cybersecurity expert Nozomi Networks to offer what they say is the world’s first security sensor embedded in an RTU (remote terminal unit), delivering “the next evolution in cyber-physical system protection”. Embedding the Nozomi Arc technology into Schneider’s ScadaPack 47xi Smart RTUs will give users previously unavailable visibility at the control device layer of their automation equipment and field assets, as well as the ability to analyse and deter control device-level threats and malicious user activity, without disrupting networks. As a result, they will benefit from greater operational resilience and uptime, reduced cyber-risk, and better compliance.
RTUs collect, process and transmit data from sensors and actuators in remote or distributed locations, such as water pumping stations or electrical substations. They act as a bridge between the field equipment and a central control system, enabling real-time monitoring and control of industrial processes.
By embedding Nozomi Arc into Schneider’s RTUs, security and operations teams will gain visibility into important data from within their RTUs, and the field assets controlled by those RTUs – for the first time, according to Schneider and Nozomi. This includes:
- Detection of threats and anomalies, including malicious and suspicious actions such as USB or SD card connections/removals, time setting manipulation, changes to control logic and firmware, mechanical manipulations and more.
- Updates to RTU endpoint status, including software and hardware inventory, vulnerability details, and resource utilisation.
- Visibility into physical processes and the device state, without needing external polling protocols.
“As cyberthreats to the world’s energy resources rise, we’re working with Nozomi Networks and our customers in critical infrastructure to double down on effective defences,” says Jay Abdallah, Schneider’s vice-president of cybersecurity solutions and services. “Nozomi Arc Embedded in Schneider RTUs transforms remote terminal units into secure assets, giving operators the visibility they need to respond to threats before they can do harm.”
“For more than eight years, our partnership with Schneider has allowed us to collaborate to find better ways to protect energy management and automation processes around the world,” adds Nozomi Networks’ co-founder and CPO, Andrea Carcano. “This latest effort with Arc Embedded extends security to – and through – industrial control systems, down to the highly remote field assets they manage, which are often left unmonitored and at greater risk.”
Nozomi’s Arc Embedded transforms control systems into secure-by-design assets, offering an integrated security layer that delivers robust protection for in-production systems. It will be available for Schneider’s ScadaPack 47xi Smart RTUs on a subscription model.
