Emerson picks Achilles for security testing

June 29, 2009

VANCOUVER, B.C., Canada — Wurldtech Security Technologies, a provider of cybersecurity testing and certification solutions for industrial automation industries, has announced that Emerson Process Management has selected the Achilles Satellite platform for use in its product development life cycle that delivers best-of-breed security software to complement its automation systems.

Emerson adds Achilles to its established product development processes that continuously test for new software weaknesses and accelerate the identification, isolation and mitigation of vulnerabilities before they are deployed by end-user customers.

“Ethernet-enabled industrial networks and control systems are increasingly exposed to new cyber risks that can jeopardize process integrity and result in unnecessary downtime” stated Bob Huba, product manager for Emerson. “Achilles has proven to be the most effective platform in the market at identifying and mitigating potential weaknesses and helps our development teams continuously improve product robustness and meet the cybersecurity expectations of our customers.”

As part of the agreement, Achilles testing will be integrated throughout Emerson’s product development life cycle, as well as product upgrades and patches. As a result, Emerson’s customers not only benefit from deploying resilient, high-performance systems in the market, but also have confidence that their systems remain resistant to unexpected weaknesses, system downtime and cyber attacks on an on-going basis.

Developed specifically to address cybersecurity challenges unique to the industrial automation industry, Achilles is an application for diagnosing and remediating vulnerabilities in SCADA and process control systems. With access to the industry’s most comprehensive database of control system vulnerabilities, users of Achilles are provided with the latest intelligence on device vulnerabilities and attack grammars to ensure remediation efforts are effective and swift. Aligned to emerging security standards such as ISA SP99, Achilles is now widely deployed among global operators, systems integrators and vendors who supply and manage critical infrastructure in sectors such as power, energy, water, telecommunications, manufacturing, as well as military and intelligence.