Water Sector

Protecting water infrastructure against physical threats and cyberattacks

New European STOP-IT project launched

On 7 and 8 June, approximately 60 stakeholders gathered in Oslo for the kick-off meeting of the STOP-IT project, which aims at addressing physical and cyber threats (and their combinations) to the water infrastructure. The water infrastructure is essential for society, human welfare and health, but it can be endangered by physical threats and cyberattacks. These can have severe societal consequences. To address these threats, the STOP-IT project, which assembles a team of leading research institutes and companies, such as Sintef, IWW, KWR and Atos, will develop an all-hazard risk management framework for the physical and cyber protection of critical water infrastructure.

Integration of different solutions

STOP-IT stands for Strategic, Tactical, Operational Protection of water Infrastructure against cyber-physical Threats. At the project’s core is the prevention, detection, response and mitigation of relevant risks at strategic, tactical and operational levels. Various modular solutions (technologies, tools and guidelines) will be combined into a software platform. STOP-IT solutions are based, on the one hand, on mature technologies which are improved by being combined and embedded and, on the other, on new technologies whose TRL (Technology Readiness Level) is increased.

Demonstration at water companies

The STOP-IT project will produce solutions that will be demonstrated at several water companies, including Aigües de Barcelona (ES), Berliner Wasserbetriebe (DE), MEKOROT (IL), Oslo VAV (NO) and KWR’s new shareholder, De Watergroep (BE). KWR’s responsibilities in STOP-IT are threefold:

  1. Lead work related to assessing and treating cyber-physical risks at strategic and tactical levels.
  2. Contribute to the development of future threat landscape scenarios.
  3. Support the development of a Community of Practice for Water Infrastructure Protection.

Kick-off meeting in Oslo

 

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