The control room and the office are more connected than you think
Telecontrol and office IT are considered separate. On closer inspection there are often links after all, for meter data, reporting or on-call staff working from home.
IT security for municipal utilities and energy suppliers
How well is your municipal utility protected against cyberattacks? In three days you will know.
For the management of smaller municipal utilities, heating plants, district heating and water suppliers. We review your entire IT, from billing to remote access into the control room and plants, together with your IT or your IT provider. We then close the gaps and, if you wish, look after security on an ongoing basis. We only make changes after your approval.
- For whom
- Municipal utilities, combined heat and power plants, district heating and water suppliers, including those below the critical infrastructure threshold
- First step
- IT security check on site, three days, we change nothing
- In scope
- Office IT, billing, customer portals, remote access to the control room and plants
- Then
- Implement, ongoing care, or a documented handover to your IT
- Price
- Fixed price for the IT security check, quoted after the introductory call
Sound familiar?
Typical situations at municipal utilities
In recent years municipal utilities and heating plants in Germany have also been hit by ransomware and had to work on paper for days or weeks. You do not need a technical background for a conversation with us.
Vendors maintain your plants remotely
Several service providers have access to control systems, heat generation or pumping stations. Hardly anyone in-house knows exactly who uses that access, when, and whether it is protected by a second factor.
Nobody has practised running without IT
If billing, email and phones fail, supply still has to run. How long that works and who decides what is often not written down.
Whether NIS2 applies to your utility is something we clarify in the introductory call. Larger operators of critical plants will find more on critical infrastructure and energy.
How does working together start?
You start with a manageable step at a fixed price and decide afterwards how to continue. Supply carries on as normal during the check.
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30 minutes
Introductory call
You speak directly with Bastian Wenske, founder and managing director. We clarify what runs at your utility and what the check should cover.
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3 days, fixed price
IT security check
On site we review network, servers, workstations, cloud, backups, billing and remote access. We change nothing.
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Based on findings
Secure
Close the largest gaps first, done by your IT, your IT provider or us.
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Your choice
Ongoing care or handover
We look after security on an ongoing basis, or your IT takes it over with documentation.
How long could you keep going without IT?
The IT security check shows in writing where your utility is exposed and what to do first. At a fixed price.
Two paths
We look after it, or your IT takes it over
Both paths lead to the same standard. After the check you decide which one fits your organisation.
We look after security for you
At a fixed monthly price we review security alerts, respond to incidents and report to you every month on what has happened. Access, data and documentation stay with you.
Managed SecurityWe hand over to your IT with documentation
We implement the measures and hand them over to your IT team or your IT provider with documentation and written instructions.
About the IT security checkFrequently asked questions
We are a small municipal utility. Are we even a target?
Yes. Ransomware is usually spread widely and hits whoever has an open access point or an outdated system, regardless of size. In recent years smaller municipal utilities and heating plants in Germany have experienced this and had to work on paper for days or weeks.
Will the IT security check disrupt supply or the control room?
No. We look at systems and connections and read out settings without changing anything. We do not touch the control systems, and we agree any appointments there with your technical management.
Does NIS2 apply to our utility?
That depends mainly on size and activity, and it can usually be assessed quickly in the introductory call. Energy and water supply are among the sectors NIS2 covers, including below the critical infrastructure threshold. Either way, the check shows where you stand and what to do first.
What does it cost?
The IT security check has a fixed price that depends on the size of your IT. You receive the written quote after the introductory call, before the check begins. What follows is your decision, with the report in hand.
Who gets to see our systems during the check?
WCS consultants, who presented a certificate of good conduct before they were hired. We sign a non-disclosure agreement with every customer, and where a project requires it we deploy consultants with a government security clearance. Your data and the documentation stay with you.
What do we do if we are attacked tomorrow?
Call us, even if it is only a suspicion and even if you are not yet a customer. Decide who is in charge, record every step with the time and check the reporting obligations in your cyber insurance policy. The first steps are on our page “Suspected cyberattack”.
Let's talk about your IT security
In the introductory call (30 minutes, no obligation) we clarify:
- where your company stands today and what concerns you most
- which next step makes sense for your organisation
- what effort and price range to expect
Bastian Wenske
Founder & Managing Director
Prefer to reach out directly? Send us an email at [email protected].
Book an introductory call