Seamless IT/OT Transition & Strengthened Cybersecurity for a U.S. Power Generation Facility

Overview

A major U.S.-based natural gas power generation facility, producing over 300MW through a combined-cycle configuration, required a rapid and secure transition of its IT and OT environments following a change in ownership. With operational continuity, regulatory readiness, and cyber risk reduction as immediate priorities, the facility sought a fast and dependable approach to stabilize operations and modernize its security posture

The Challenge

A Six-Week Deadline and Limited Visibility

Upon the ownership change, facility leadership faced several critical gaps:

• Limited visibility into inherited security vulnerabilities
• Concerns that former vendors or previous ownership might have retained unauthorized access
• A full rebuild of the IT/OT infrastructure was required under the new operational structure
• All work needed to be completed within just six weeks to avoid disrupting plant operations

The previous environment had been centrally managed under a corporate parent, leaving minimal documentation and no clear baseline for secure, independent operation.

The Solution:

1. Full IT/OT Environment Transition

A rapid, structured transition plan was initiated to migrate all essential systems into the new ownership framework, including:

• Employee workstations and servers
• Internal Wi-Fi and regulatory networks
• Communications systems
• Physical security infrastructure, such as access control and cameras

Within six weeks, the entire environment was transitioned successfully, with minimal operational interruption.

2. OT Security Baseline & Vulnerability Assessment

Once the environment was stabilized, a detailed OT Threat Assessment was conducted to establish a clear security baseline.
The assessment uncovered several inherited vulnerabilities, including lingering access pathways left by previous service providers. Identifying these issues early restored leadership’s confidence and allowed full control of the facility’s critical infrastructure.

Solution Enhancements

A comprehensive set of improvements was implemented to strengthen access control, enhance visibility, and modernize the plant’s technology foundation.

A. Secure Vendor & Contractor Access

A controlled vendor-access workflow was deployed using a secure, multi-factor-enabled process to eliminate unauthorized entry risks.

This model ensures:

• Segregated access for external vendors
• Real-time operator approval before system entry
• Automated tracking and timestamping of activity
• Alignment with industry reliability and compliance expectations

This provides complete visibility into every external connection entering the OT environment.

1. Continuous Network Monitoring & OT Visibility

A continuous monitoring layer was introduced to expand visibility across the OT landscape.

The system now enables real-time detection of:

• Network entry and exit
• Behavioral anomalies
• Potential threats as they arise

This improvement shifts the facility from reactive problem-solving to proactive security management.

1. Network Hardening & Infrastructure Cleanup

Building on the vulnerabilities identified, several remediation steps were taken:

• Modernized and replaced aging firewalls
• Reconfigured network switches
• Removed outdated or undocumented access points
• Implemented best-practice network segmentation

These measures delivered a cleaner, more resilient infrastructure with reduced cyber exposure.

The Results:

A Highly Secure, Future-Ready Environment

The facility now operates with a fortified IT/OT foundation and complete visibility over its systems. Ongoing services include:

• Network health and performance monitoring
• Patch management and endpoint protection
• Vendor and contractor coordination
• Hardware compatibility assurance
• A responsive service desk ensuring timely resolutions

Operational Control & Transfer Simplification

Because the environment is now fully documented and standardized, future transitions between IT providers can be accomplished with ease and minimal disruption.
Facility leadership now has:

• Full oversight of the network
• Strong confidence in IT/OT segmentation
• Assurance that no legacy vendor access remains

Peace of Mind Against Cyber Threats

With best practices, monitoring, and enforced access controls in place, leadership reports significantly reduced concern during sector-wide alerts or industry threat advisories.
The mature environment positions the facility ahead of many peers in its regulatory class.
This solution was delivered in partnership with ProArch.