Waterfall’s WF-600 unidirectional security gateway brings ‘unbreachable protection’ to OT/ICS networks

OT security company Waterfall Security Solutions released on Monday its WF-600 unidirectional security gateway that blends hardware and software, enabling unbreachable protection at IT/OT interfaces with unlimited visibility into OT (operational technology) networks, systems, and data. Waterfall’s unidirectional gateways protect OT networks with a hardware-enforced, physical barrier that prevents remote attacks, malware, DOS attacks, ransomware, and human errors from breaching the protected network.

The WF-600 features self-contained operations – no software on external/industrial computers and all gateway software managed by a simple, powerful web-based user interface. The product supports 1Gbps and 10Gbps throughput options, standard high availability options, and a broad and rich connector library that enables unlimited enterprise-wide OT data visibility. 

The WF-600 product line is a jointly designed blend of proprietary hardware and software that provides safe IT/OT integration and unlimited access to OT data. The WF-600 security gateways provide an unbreachable physical barrier to online attacks targeting OT networks. The gateway hardware transmits information from industrial and control networks to external networks but is physically incapable of propagating any online cyber attack back into the protected network. 

Additionally, unidirectional gateway software connectors replicate servers and emulate devices, enabling enterprise users and applications to continue accessing OT data bi-directionally from the replica servers. The move allows data to be shared with the enterprise and is available in replicas.

The WF-600 includes a self-contained, integrated software platform, with no external software needed on industrial or enterprise computers, and with the entire platform designed together with the 600 series hardware, for maximum performance, compatibility, and ease of use. It also includes a large connector library that runs natively in the WF-600 network appliance, enabling connectivity with, replication of, and integration for various historians, OPC servers, intrusion detection and monitoring systems, IIoT protocols, and industrial protocols.

Its web user interface is simple and powerful built into the WF-600 for all configuration, monitoring, management, and even trouble-shooting needs. The WF-600 hardware has been designed for the WF-600 software platform, with standard 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps throughput options, standard high availability options, and copper and fiber connectivity options.

“The new platform represents an enormous investment in streamlining every aspect of installing, using, and managing our Unidirectional Gateway products. The strongest network security has never been simpler,” Lior Frenkel, CEO and co-founder of Waterfall Security Solutions, said in a media statement. 

In February, Waterfall partnered with Japanese technology product and services provider Terilogy to boost OT security in the Asian country. Advanced automation and digitization in control system networks make critical infrastructures and other industrial processes vulnerable to cyber attacks in a steadily deteriorating cyber threat environment.

Compromised OT systems can result in physical consequences, ranging from damage to long lead-time assets to threats to public safety and even to employee casualties. This partnership is a timely response to the urgent need to strengthen Japanese industrial assets against cyber attacks.

Last week, TXOne Networks announced its EdgeIPS 103 intrusion prevention system for protecting mission-critical machines and ensuring the continuous and seamless operation of production lines. With the EdgeIPS 103 appliance, organizations get access to a flexible, transparent network security solution with elevated throughput, smarter, OT native networking security appliances, and contingency protocols to protect critical assets in OT environments.

EdgeIPS 103 secures a company’s critical assets or small production zones and delivers broad OT visibility and vast protocol filtering. Its compact size, flexible deployment options, and support for a tremendous range of industrial protocols make EdgeIPS 103 ideal for myriad industries, including semiconductors, healthcare, energy, and factory automation. With hassle-free, transparent deployment and the ability to sense existing network traffic and production assets, the solution is engineered to fit into OT networks without disrupting operations.

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.