www.managedITmag.co.uk 23 CYBERSECURITY Water security SES Water to take partnership with iboss to next level with implementation of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) across its entire digital infrastructure SES Water, which every day supplies 160 million litres of clean drinking water to more than 750,000 people across Surrey, Kent and South London, is extending its relationship with security partner iboss as part of a new five-year, £413.9m strategic business development and investment plan. Purchased by FTSE 250 company Pennon for £380 million last year, SES Water and its 400 staff across the UK maintain over 2,000 miles of water mains, eight treatment works, 23 pumping stations and 31 operational service reservoirs and water towers. Every five years utility and water companies submit a five-year strategic business plan to industry regulator Ofwat, setting out how they are going to deliver improved services to customers and reduce their impact on the environment. SES Water’s £413.9 million plan for 2025-2030 includes a programme of investment in its operations and additional projects, including its smart metering programme, the refurbishment of one of its water softening plants and the strengthening of its cybersecurity posture. This builds on its development in 2023 of a Zero Trust roadmap to protect its hybrid workforce and growing digital footprint from online threats, and the subsequent appointment of iboss as its Security Partner. The Zero Trust Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) vendor initially provided a web proxy to manage all of the water supplier’s web filtering and block all forms of malicious material, including domains, images, regions and even certain words, as well as malware and ransomware. This solution also supports the mental health and wellbeing of SES Consolidated platform The iboss Zero Trust Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) cloud security platform consolidates network and security technologies into a single cloud-based service with a single-pane-of-glass management console. By integrating VPN, Secure Web Gateway (SWG), SD-WAN, branch firewalls, browser isolation and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) capabilities, the unified network and security service replaces legacy solutions to enhance security, reduce complexity, lower costs and improve the user experience for today’s distributed workforce. Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) grants users access only to the applications they need based on their identity, minimising the risk of breaches and data loss. Leveraging a purpose-built cloud architecture, backed by 230+ issued and pending patents and more than 100 points of presence globally, iboss processes more than 150 billion transactions and blocks 4 billion threats daily on behalf of more than 4,000 global enterprises. The company was named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide ZTNA, one of the Top 25 Cybersecurity Companies by The Software Report and one of CRN’s 20 Coolest Cloud Security Companies. http://www.iboss.com Water staff by monitoring users’ web activity and flagging worrying behaviour so that the company can carry out critical welfare checks on those concerned. Matt Crockford, Head of Cyber Security at SES Water, said: “At SES Water, the mental health of our team is hugely important. Although this is something which most people might not associate with a cybersecurity solution or vendor, it’s an area in which iboss really excels. As our digital footprint continues to grow, we understand that the likelihood of us being targeted by threat actors is increasing too. After a simple rollout, having a solution in place which gives us that extra layer of protection and peace of mind is very important for us.” In its new investment plan, SES Water is extending the relationship with iboss to include the implementation of Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) across its entire digital infrastructure. This will give all employees ‘least privilege’ so they can only access the information they need, with authentication required to access any assets, data or programs. Simon Eappariello, Senior Vice President, EMEIA & APJ at iboss, added: “With SES Water being a Critical National Infrastructure organisation, it is key that the company has effective and efficient cybersecurity measures in place. As it begins to implement its plan for the next five years, the water supplier is going to need strong network security as a foundation for all of the upcoming development. “By enabling the digital transformation of SES Water, we’re not only potentially blocking millions of threats a year and improving their security posture, we’re enabling them to securely move data and applications to the cloud to support hybrid working whilst giving them the flexibility to employ talent nationally to their growing team. When the company rolls out Zero Trust Network Access across its entire environment, SES will have an incredible level of security.” Matt Crockford Bough Beech Reservoir, Kent
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