GE moves for Wurldtech

With the Internet of Things (IoT) coming centre stage, the issue of IoT security – and especially the security of big things - is tracking it. This means that mergers and  acquisitions in the area are likely to become a prominent trend for a while, such as the example of engineering giant, GE, has just moved to acquire Vancouver-based cyber security solutions specialist,Wurldtech.

The move is seen as giving GE greater depth in providing cyber security technology and services to help assess, protect and certify critical infrastructure and industrial products. Wurldtech will continue to operate autonomously while capitalising on GE resources to accelerate key technology programs and market expansion. Its solutions and services are used in complex environments such as oil refineries, power transmission grids or for individual assets like medical devices or smart meters.

“We look forward to accelerating key programs as we advance cyber security for system operators and device manufacturers across the industry.”

Traditional information technology (IT) approaches for securing systems and data are challenging when applied to the operations technology (OT) world. Wurldtech solutions offer a strategic approach to cyber security that help to better protect the OT that connects people, data and machines - maximising system uptime and mitigating exposure to vulnerabilities. This acquisition will help to enhance the reliability of Industrial Internet operations.

Wurldtech’s technology and professional services are designed to Assess, Protect and Certify. This  approach to cyber security is performed using Achilles Test products to discover operational vulnerabilities in products and critical infrastructure and then assess the root cause, Achilles Threat Intelligence product to secure OT networks with an industrial firewall, and Achilles Communications and Practices Certifications to evaluate device communications and best practices.

“The world of OT security needs to be foundationally different from traditional IT detection systems. Securing connected machines has a unique set of complexities that are very different from protecting a datacenter,” said Bill Ruh, vice president, GE Software. “At GE, we are focused on software platform security, protecting critical infrastructure and helping to ensure the reliability of Industrial Internet operations for our customers and industries. The acquisition of Wurldtech is a perfect fit for addressing all of these big challenges.”