Electricity Vertical

Case Study: Secure SCADA Data Replication to IT Analytics Platforms

Electrical Grid Company in the Middle-East

Real-time SCADA data replication required for operational analytics

Proprietary SCADA architecture based on Microsoft SQL databases

No native API available for direct integration with external platforms

Strict High Availability requirements with zero single point of failure

Need / Problem / Context

Secure Publication of SCADA Data to Enterprise Analytics Platforms

A national electricity grid operator needed to make operational SCADA data available to IT analytics platforms in order to support reporting, operational analysis, and long-term infrastructure optimization.

The SCADA database, hosted within the OT environment, contained real-time operational data essential to grid monitoring and control. While business teams and analysts required access to this information within an IT data lake environment, the production SCADA systems had to remain strictly isolated from corporate networks to prevent any IT-borne cyber threats from reaching the control infrastructure.

The challenge was therefore to replicate SCADA database data from the OT environment to the IT analytics platform in real time, while preserving operational stability and enforcing a strict one-way security boundary between OT and IT environments.

Solution Deployed

A Cyberium unidirectional gateway architecture was deployed to securely replicate SCADA database data from the OT environment to the enterprise IT analytics platform while maintaining strict isolation of the production network. The architecture enables continuous data publication toward the IT data lake without introducing any inbound connectivity risk to the SCADA infrastructure.

Hardware appliance

2x OWA 3U pack @ 1 Gbps

Two unidirectional gateways were deployed to sustain continuous SCADA database replication while maintaining strict separation between OT control systems and IT analytics platforms.

Hardware Options

High-Availability℗ Setup

Cyberium patented High Availability mechanisms ensure uninterrupted data replication and eliminate any single point of failure in this critical data flow.

Software Replicator Agent

MS SQL Database Agent

A dedicated database replication agent enables reliable synchronization of operational SCADA data toward the IT analytics environment

Custom Extension

Custom SCADA Compatibility Extension

A custom integration module was developed to extend compatibility with the proprietary SCADA architecture and enable seamless data extraction from the OT database.

Outcomes & Benefits

The deployment enabled secure and reliable access to operational SCADA data for enterprise analytics while preserving strict protection of the electricity grid control infrastructure.

Eliminated cybersecurity exposure between IT and the SCADA production network

Enabled seamless access to operational grid data for analytics and reporting teams

Delivered the same functional scope as leading database replication platforms at significantly lower cost

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