IRMA@GWH: A Small Operations Team, Three Locations, Full Compliance
COMPANY
Gas- & Wasserversorgung Höxter GmbH
SECTOR
Energy, Drinking Water, Heat
LÖCAION
Höxter
CUSTOMER SINCE
2017
SOLUTION
IRMA®
~ 35,000
residents are served across an area of 158 km²
3 Mio.
cubic meters of annual capacity across 7 water treatment plants
~ 159
kilometer-long gas network serving approximately 4,300 households
Image: Water turbine | pixabay: planet_fox
Initial Situation
The Goal in Höxter: Hassle-free Compliance with Legal Requirements
As a local water, energy, and wastewater utility (a subsidiary of GELSENWASSER), GW-Höxter operates critical infrastructure at multiple locations. The operations team is small, and the company does not have its own cybersecurity experts.
The challenge: Meeting legal requirements for attack detection without hiring additional specialized staff or burdening the team with complex security tools.
“Automated alerting, which requires no complex configuration, helps our smaller operations team address cybersecurity challenges efficiently, while meeting legal requirements and maintaining high standards.”
Andreas Meilenbrok and Manuel Potthast, Weserstadtwerke-Service GmbH on behalf of GW-Höxter / VGW / Höxter Municipal Sewerage
Solution
Automated Alerts without Complex Configuration
IRMA® has been in use at three locations since early 2017.
Following a smooth trial at the end of 2016, the added value was immediately apparent: complete visibility of all devices and systems, a detailed overview of network communication, and automated alerts without the need for complex configuration.
The system is so easy to use that the operations team can independently manage OT security.
Image: Meter | pixabay: didgeman
Results & Added Value
Extremely Easy to Use, Yet Fully Controllable
Effortless Compliance
with legal cybersecurity requirements at all locations
No Additional Specialized Staff
The small operations team has full control over OT security without the need for external specialists.
Automated Alerts
Instant anomaly detection — with high quality and minimal effort
Image: Hydropower | pixabay: liggraphy
Customer Profile
Gas- und Wasserversorgung Höxter GmbH
Gas- und Wasserversorgung Höxter GmbH is the municipal utility provider for energy, drinking water, heat, and mobility in the city and district.
Regional and customer-focused—this is the guiding principle that drives the employees of Gas- und Wasserversorgung Höxter. In a water supply area covering approximately 158 km², they reliably provide high-quality drinking water to the roughly 35,000 residents of Höxter and the surrounding communities. Since January 2012, GWH has also been supplying electricity and gas to various towns in the Höxter district.