All power utilities today recognize the importance of adopting advanced solutions: Utiltyx
- December 31, 2024
US-based Utiltyx was formed with a vision to transform how security is addressed, network models are updated and visualized, and how grid data is leveraged in providing descriptive, diagnostic, predictive & prescriptive analytics in power distribution. In this exclusive interview, Anikreddyapalli Konda, Founder & CEO, Utiltyx, giving a holistic understanding of managing the digitized power grid, especially from the cybersecurity perspective. In the Indian context, Konda foresees immense potential for Utiltyx given that all power utilities today recognize the importance of adopting advanced solutions. An interview by Venugopal Pillai.
Before we come to services offered by Utiltyx, we would like to understand a few concepts from a layman’s perspective. When it comes to digitized power grids, we often hear the terms OT and IT as major components of the ecosystem. Broadly, what do they mean?
Great question! IT stands for Information Technology, while OT refers to Operations Technology. In the IT realm, information is generated by humans and is primarily stored, shared, transferred, and analyzed for other human use. The creation and consumption of this information typically doesn’t involve strict temporal dependencies. In contrast, in the OT space, information is generated by devices or sensors and has real-time characteristics. Because of the nature and sensitivity of the information in both domains, their priorities differ. For IT, confidentiality takes precedence over integrity, followed by availability (the CIA triad). In OT, however, availability is the highest priority, followed by integrity, with confidentiality being the last (AIC).
Please discuss the criticality of cybersecurity given that power grids worldwide, and even in India, are getting increasingly digitized.
Right timing for the question: first, let’s understand the motivation for the digitization. The power grid has to undergo massive digital transformation to serve modern digital societies in the current internet and smartphone era while at the same time aiming for sustainable and cleaner energy. There is simply no other choice to manage the already infinitely complex grid without the massive number of digital devices and sensors for real time control and automation.
As the digitalization increases, so would the connectivity and attack surface. Power grids are considered critical infrastructure and so any risk to it if materialized can have potential for large scale economic damage. Globally, governments and regulatory bodies are increasingly focused on the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure with India taking the lead with few other countries. Both the regulatory pressures and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats are driving the need for real time threat detection and response.
Please describe the services offered by Utiltyx to power utilities.
At the core of our offerings is the Grid Eye™, our flagship product suite for Threat Intrusion Detection. It continuously monitors the grid edge environment, analyses the inter-device communications in real time, and raises alerts if a cybersecurity or an operational issue is detected. Utiltyx also offers solutions and services to protect the entire utility with its Grid Cyber Management System that constitutes all the necessary communication devices including firewalls, switches, Intrusion Prevention Systems, Anti-virus, patch management, Remote Access, Security Information Event Management, etc.
Apart from providing cybersecurity, tell us how AI-powered smart data analytics Utiltyx can help utilities in grid optimization.
The founding mission of Utiltyx is to empower power grid operators with the tools and technologies they need to deliver high-quality power in a safe, secure, and reliable manner. At the heart of this mission is our Grid Eye™ suite, which not only protects power grids from cyber threats but also offers specialized analytical modules tailored to the unique needs of power systems.
In addition to its cybersecurity capabilities, Grid Eye™ is designed to provide deep insights into grid operations. It includes powerful analytics that can identify anomalies in the configuration and performance of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). These anomalies, if left unaddressed, can lead to inefficiencies or vulnerabilities in grid operations. Grid operators can leverage the insights generated by the Grid Eye™ system to identify and correct configuration issues, optimize settings, and fine-tune the performance of their grids. This ensures that the grid operates at its full potential, improving both efficiency and reliability. Ultimately, Grid Eye™ helps operators not only protect the grid from cyber risks but also enhance its overall performance and resilience, contributing to the smooth and reliable delivery of power.
Currently, what is the presence of Utiltyx in India, and what are the services being offered?
Utiltyx has established a significant presence in India, which is our primary location outside of the United States. Our Bangalore office serves as the hub for much of our research & development (R&D) and engineering operations, where we focus on driving innovation and developing cutting-edge solutions for the global market.
In addition to R&D and engineering, we have built robust sales, services, and support teams in India to cater to the specific needs of the Indian market. This team plays a critical role in ensuring that we provide excellent customer service, technical support, and tailored solutions to meet the unique requirements of our Indian clients. Our presence in India is a key part of our global strategy, and we continue to invest in strengthening our capabilities to support both local and international customers.
How is your partnership with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd progressing?
Our partnership with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd, initiated in September 2023, is going very well. We have a few expansions planned for 2025.
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Much of India’s power grid is still under government control. Given this, how do you see the inclination of government-owned power utilities adopting advanced solutions, such as those offered by Utiltyx?
The good news is that all power utilities recognize the importance of adopting advanced solutions to meet customer demands. We are encouraged to see that both governmental and non-governmental organizations are actively working to advise on policy changes that can accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies. We are beginning to see the positive impact of these policy shifts. In some instances, government regulations are even driving the adoption of newer technologies. We fully support both of these initiatives.
If you consider today’s digitized power grid, we can imagine a large number of IoT devices provided by diverse suppliers, and which do not necessarily have the same communication protocol. Given this, how does one approach the issue of holistic cybersecurity of the power grid?
Another great question! Vendor diversity is actually beneficial. Remember the Crowdstrike incident from July 2024? It affected nearly every enterprise Windows computer, except for Windows 3.1, which was based on 16-bit computing. In that moment, organizations would have appreciated having vendor diversity. While the analogy may be a bit stretched, it still underscores the value of vendor diversity in power grids as well. This is where solutions like Grid Eye™ from Utiltyx come into play, excelling by collecting data from various devices, decoding a wide range of protocols, and synthesizing accurate information and alerts when issues arise.
India has set an objective of installing 250 million smart electricity meters over the next 5-6 years. Technically, this would mean as many IoT devices connected to the grid. In such a situation, does cybersecurity get even more complex?
Yes, the attack surface definitely increases with the installation of huge number of smart meters, and all the intermediate communication nodes to support the transfer of the data that these meters generate. This adds additional layer of complexity for cybersecurity engineers with increased variety, velocity and volume of data to deal with.
How do you see the years ahead for Utiltyx in India, in view of the massive envisaged expansion of the power grid? What will be your main business drivers?
We are highly optimistic about potential of Utiltyx, both in India and in global markets. Currently, electricity accounts for less than 20 per cent of the total energy consumed worldwide. However, we anticipate a significant shift in the coming years, with many other forms of energy transitioning to electricity as part of efforts to meet sustainability and green energy goals. This transition presents a tremendous opportunity for Utiltyx. We have assembled a strong and capable team, and we are excited to expand it in the years ahead to support our growth. With our commitment to innovation and the increasing demand for advanced energy solutions, we are well-positioned for substantial revenue growth. We believe that this combination of market demand and technological advancements will drive our success as we scale and evolve to meet the changing needs of the energy sector.
