Axpo Systems opens the first OT Security Operation Centre in Switzerland

11.12.2024 - Cyber attacks on industrial control systems and other operational technologies (OT) are on the rise and threaten critical infrastructures. With the newly opened OT Security Operation Centre, Axpo Systems is offering a specialised and reliable security solution for the first time in Switzerland to effectively protect energy suppliers and other system-relevant sectors.

In early December, Axpo Systems – a subsidiary of Axpo – commissioned the first Security Operation Centre (SOC) for Operational Technology (OT). It offers specialist protection for OT infrastructure used in sectors of systemic importance such as energy supply, emergency services, transport and healthcare. Operational Technology comprises the systems and technologies that control physical processes and industrial plants, such as machines in factories, power grids or transport infrastructure. They monitor, control and automate operational processes to ensure the safe and efficient functioning of production and supply systems.

The aim of the SOC is to identify and stave off threats in real time to ensure the secure and uninterrupted operation of these systems. The OT SOC is therefore in operation round the clock, 365 days a year. The specialists at Axpo Systems utilise a wide range of technologies and protective measures and remain in constant conversation with internal and external stakeholders such as the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS).

‘The threat level – primarily in the cyber realm – has evolved in recent years, particularly in the field of critical infrastructure,’ says René Oester, CEO of Axpo Systems. The increasingly professional methods of attack put companies under pressure and necessitate corresponding protective measures. Opening this new Security Operation Centre is thus a key step in safeguarding the security of system-critical infrastructure in Switzerland. René Oester: ‘In an era of constantly increasing cyber threats, this SOC allows us to offer not only specialist protection for operational technology, but also a proactive defence against potential attacks.’

Axpo Systems, based in Lupfig AG, is the competence centre for cyber security and data communication solutions at Axpo and in the area of system-critical infrastructures in Switzerland. The SOC strengthens Axpo’s position as a partner for cyber security and connectivity solutions for companies of systemic importance. This includes transport infrastructure, emergency and rescue services, energy suppliers, healthcare facilities, transport associations and a range of government agencies. As the only OT-SOC for system-critical infrastructure in Switzerland, Axpo Systems’ SOC makes a significant contribution towards security in Switzerland and is thereby making an essential investment for the future.