MCS on data security: from good intentions to good security

Last week our partner organized Mous Water Management from Balk a Technical Content Day with the theme cybersecurity. Specially organized for their customers, in particular policy officers and (sewer) pumping station managers.

MCS was asked to contribute our expertise on how to effectively secure the entire IoT communication chain.

So Frank Olsthoorn (Product Specialist Managed IoT) and Jan van Rossum (Operational Director) once again set off together in the old-fashioned way towards beautiful Friesland.

Interesting program at an iconic location

Mous had arranged the location for this day more than well: the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Woudagemaal in LemmerThis is the largest still functioning steam pumping station in the world and dates from 1920. This monumental steam giant is still used in times of high water levels by Water Board Friesland to ensure dry feet in Friesland.

So the program was about security. From your installations and equipment (assets) in the field to the data that users see on their monitoring tools and dashboards. In short, the entire IoT chain known to us: from sensor to dashboard.

Spoiler alert: security is far from optimal

Many listeners had the idea that security was well-arranged. Or at least was requested in the right way in tenders or smaller requests for new construction, renovation and/or monitoring and maintenance of, for example, pumping stations.

After two presentations it became immediately clear that there is still a lot unclear, unknown and therefore probably unloved in the field of (data)security. Plenty of room for improvement here!

Impact and practical implementation of NIS2

The kick-off was for The Water Board House, a connecting management organisation for the 21 water boards in the Netherlands. They share their knowledge in the field of digital innovations and information and data provisions.

Their presentation focused on the impact and practical implementation of NIS2 cybersecurity guideline from the government. In particular, it was examined how the requirements in this directive affect all parties within the water boards that manage data. Also ultimately for suppliers such as MCS. For municipalities as end users within the water world, this requirement is made mandatory.

Big shock with clear message

Now that the regulatory framework had been outlined, it was MCS's turn. After a brief company introduction by Frank, Jan addressed the various security aspects and questions that you should ask yourself as a customer, user or system integrator. And there were quite a few!

Think of the various handy settings and configuration options in the used (mobile) router that brings the pumping station data to the central monitoring software. Or the secure shielded or unsecure public accessibility to your equipment in the field.

Many routers still easily available to the public

You don't want to think about an invisible, malicious hacker abroad getting control over our water defenses. Jan showed with a demo that many well-known mobile routers are still easily publicly available to everyone on the internet. He did this via the public website ShodanMany in the audience were quite shocked at the amount of public information that was readily available here.

The right security policy and processes, alarm settings, shielded (VPN/APN) connections and device management tools to keep your equipment up-to-date. These are all essential aspects of the entire IoT chain for optimal security of your applications.

After the tour of the impressive steam pumping station and the lunch break, the program was continued. There were presentations on data processing and data visualization possibilities, chain and contract management and tendering in the context of security. Jan and I were already on our way back, safely ahead of the crowd.

Learn more about secure mobile communications

Mous, like us, looks back on a very successful and educational day for all attendees. Do you have any questions about security or are you experiencing challenges in this area?

We are happy to help you in the field of safe and reliable stable mobile IoT communication. Take Contact with me to discuss the possibilities.