KPMG, Rhebo team up to protect operational technology networks with early threat detection

Operational technology and IoT cybersecurity solutions vendor Rhebo partnered on Thursday with auditing and consulting firm KPMG to provide customers with comprehensive visibility of their operational technology networks. The deal will also provide intelligent anomaly detection allowing early threat detection in operational technology networks. 

KPMG will integrate Rhebo Industrial Protector in its OT and IoT Lab to showcase the principle of OT monitoring and industrial anomaly detection to its customers in a real-world context. With the partnership, Rhebo expands into the security market, while the cooperation takes KPMG a step closer to its goal of comprehensively supporting industrial companies in driving digital transformation, the companies said. 

The  Rhebo Industrial Protector detects cyberattacks, manipulations, misconfigurations and also technical error states within the operational technology networks in real-time. It will also be used in KPMG assessments to identify vulnerabilities and risks in clients’ industrial automation networks and define effective mitigation.

The Rhebo Industrial Protector operates in the OT environment by analyzing every industrial control systems (ICS) communication at the content level using deep packet inspection, which helps to detect and report technical errors and attacks and perform forensic analysis. Such monitoring enables any suspicious event within the ICS to be reported and evaluated in real-time. 

The industrial network monitoring and anomaly detection of Rhebo Industrial Protector also provides an up-to-date inventory of all assets, connections and properties. The network monitoring functions are non-intrusive without affecting the infrastructure.

Rhebo with its headquarters in Leipzig, Germany, works towards ensuring both cybersecurity and operational stability of the ICS and IoT infrastructure in industrial, energy and water companies. It directly supports operators of ICS to enhance cybersecurity, productivity and availability of their systems and plants, and safeguard the digital transformation of their processes.

“Industrial processes are an integral part of digital transformation,” Wilhelm Dolle, head of cybersecurity at KPMG, said in a press statement. “With Rhebo Industrial Protector, Rhebo offers a powerful solution for availability and cybersecurity in OT. Based on Rhebo’s offering, we can create visibility in the OT of our industrial and critical infrastructure customers and assist in creating thorough cybersecurity from IT to the OT,” he added.

“We are delighted to have KPMG on board, a partner with outstanding expertise and deep understanding of the integration of IT and OT,” said Rhebo’s COO, Kristin Preßler. “Often, IT and OT domains pursue competing approaches. The extensive experience of KPMG’s cyber experts in operational technology, combined with the firm’s in-depth knowledge in strategy, governance and the necessary transformation processes, will  ensure that the topic of OT cybersecurity receives the necessary attention in companies.”

In May, Rhebo and Paessler launched a technological integration partnership for comprehensive cybersecurity in IT and OT networks. The partnership includes the integration of the Rhebo Industrial Protector into Paessler’s IT monitoring solution PRTG Network Monitor to provide an all-in-one system monitoring solution. Paessler’s PRTG monitors the entire IT environment and large parts of the OT environment, while Rhebo keeps track of the ICS and identifies anomalies.

Anna Ribeiro

Industrial Cyber News Editor. Anna Ribeiro is a freelance journalist with over 14 years of experience in the areas of security, data storage, virtualization and IoT.