Combined Forces of Xona and Forescout Shake Up Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Landscape
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In an era where cybersecurity is a business necessity, a new collaboration between Xona Systems and Forescout is set to make a critical difference. This partnership is poised to enhance security measures in operational technology (OT) environments, a crucial step towards safeguarding not only individual enterprises but also the broader economic and societal structures that rely on uninterrupted infrastructure services.
The partnership fortifies digital environments against unauthorized access and cyber attacks, offering a comprehensive, zero-trust-based secure remote access and device security solution. This collaboration addresses the unique challenges of protecting mission-critical and often isolated OT systems while maintaining operational continuity and compliance.
Key impacts of the Xona-Forescout partnership on critical infrastructure cybersecurity include:
1. End-to-End Security for OT Environments
By combining Forescout’s deep device discovery and asset intelligence with Xona’s distributed enforcement of least-privilege access, the solution provides automatic, real-time visibility into all connected assets (IT, OT, IoT, IoMT) and enforces granular, session-based, zero-trust access controls.
2. Secure Remote Access Without VPNs
The joint platform enables secure, time-limited, session-based remote access to industrial assets without relying on traditional VPNs, reducing attack surfaces and preventing exposure of critical systems to insecure endpoints.
3. Agentless, Scalable Protection with Offline Enforcement
The technology secures legacy and modern devices without requiring agents, essential for constrained OT devices, and maintains access controls at the network edge even when disconnected from the central network.
4. Compliance Enablement
The integrated solution streamlines adherence to critical infrastructure cybersecurity regulations and standards such as NERC CIP, TSA mandates, IEC 62443, and the Cyber Resilience Act by providing auditability, governance, and control features crucial for regulatory compliance.
5. Operational Efficiency Gains
Industrial organizations benefit from reduced operational costs, enhanced ability to manage security across global fleets of industrial assets, and improved response times to threats without compromising uptime or functionality.
Overall, the Xona-Forescout partnership delivers a purpose-built, zero-trust secure access framework tailored to the operational and security realities of critical infrastructure OT environments, effectively balancing strong cybersecurity with operational continuity and compliance needs.
This collaboration paves the way for increased resilience and security in industries that form the backbone of modern society, particularly utilities, oil and gas, and manufacturing. The seamless interoperability between these technologies ensures high-security standards without compromising efficiency or productivity.
In conclusion, the collaboration between Xona and Forescout serves as an innovative endeavor to protect crucial systems in the critical infrastructure domain, offering a significant leap forward in securing the digital backbone of our society.
[1] Xona Systems. (2022). Press Release: Xona Systems and Forescout Team Up to Secure Critical Infrastructure
[2] Forescout Technologies. (2022). Partners
[3] Xona Systems. (2022). Products
[4] Forescout Technologies. (2022). Industries
[5] Xona Systems. (2022). Solutions
- The collaboration between Xona Systems and Forescout aims to bolster security in the encyclopedia of sectors relying on critical infrastructure, including utilities, oil and gas, and manufacturing.
- The union of these technologies ensures high-security standards in operational technology (OT) environments without compromising energy efficiency or productivity.
- This partnership offers a cybersecurity solution that enforces zero-trust, end-to-end access control, providing real-time visibility and security for devices in IT, OT, IoT, and IoMT environments.
- By providing agentless, scalable protection with offline enforcement, the alliance helps industries in the finance sector maintain regulatory compliance with standards like NERC CIP, TSA mandates, IEC 62443, and the Cyber Resilience Act.
