Cisco Systems is acquiring Sentryo, an Internet of Things (IoT) security specialist focused on Industrial Control Systems (ICS) -- including water, gas or electricity distribution networks; power plants; critical infrastructure; production lines and transport networks, the two companies say. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Key focus areas, according to Cisco, include monitoring and locking down such Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices as:
- Programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are commonly used to control a process such as oil refining, or a manufacturing line.
- Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) and sensors in a remote area, such as an electric utility substation.
Sentryo, Cisco says, provides automated device visibility and protection for OT (operational technology) assets.
Liz Centoni, senior VP and GM of Cisco's IoT Business Group, says Sentryo provides customers with deep visibility, network segmentation, and operations capabilities that ensure maximum uptimes, production yields, improve safety, while maintain a robust cyber security posture.
Cisco Acquires Sentryo: Key IoT Security Capabilities
Sentryo, based in Lyon, France, launched in 2014, introduced its platform in 2015, and raised €10M in Series A financing in December 2018. In a product descriptor, Sentryo says its ICS CyberVision platform is designed to:
"minimize the risk of industrial networks being compromised by providing the network manager with full situational awareness. This includes a map of all communication flows within the network as well as detailed reports providing a full inventory of network devices, and detailed information about all identified vulnerabilities. ICS CyberVision relies on machine learning technology to build a model of the system which will allow for the detection of abnormal events. Finally, ICS CyberVision facilitates incident response by gathering all of the information required for forensic investigations."
Cisco's Centoni did not specifically mention partner opportunities in her blog about the deal. Still, Cisco remains partner centric, and has a growing MSP and MSSP ecosystem. Also, Sentryo has a range of partners -- including strategic alliances and resellers -- some of which have MSSP business practices.
