This week sees the IoT ( Internet of Things) World Forum (IoTWF) Research & Innovation Symposium that is showing IoT related subjects such as the current research, use cases, and customer experiences as part of  the Internet of Everything.  This time the symposium will focus on transportation and energy, key areas where IoT can change the life of every human being.

To complement the IoT relevance in Energy, you will have seen the press release today from Cisco highlighting the adoption of the Cisco Secure Ops Solution by Royal Dutch Shell, details of which were shared with delegates at the forum (and if not I've put a link at the bottom of this post).

Peter Granger "drills-down" on the new Secure Ops solution adopted by Royal Dutch Shell

We saw the collaboration between Cisco and Shell and Shell's commitment to Cisco's architectural approach at Cisco Live. If you haven't read it you can here: High Energy at Cisco Live in San Francisco.  At the event Alan Matula (CIO and EVP, Shell) spelled out the changing IT and OT (Operational Technologies) environment in his industry, and how Shell had seen this all coming...

"About 3 or 4 years ago we saw the internet of everything coming and we decided to set up a unique differentiated technology outfit and we put it right next to research and development and that actually pushes the technology advances as close as possible to the business outcomes that we're trying to drive."

You also saw (if following my blog) that Cisco announced Secure Ops here: Unveiling Cisco Collaborative Operations and Secure Ops Solutions. So now we have the customer proof point: the important piece!

So, what's new? well a lot actually. I think the first thing is how Cisco is changing to not only work with partners as we've always done, but to take the lead in providing a solution directly to our customers if that's what they want. With this solution there are a number of partners, but Cisco provides leadership so everyone knows their role and we have a more holistic approach, guided by Cisco.

Now down to the business. Shell will deploy the Cisco Secure Ops Solution at upstream, downstream and lubricant sites. The Cisco Secure Ops Solution provides remote proactive monitoring and Service-Level-Agreement -(SLA)-driven management of security, applications and infrastructure.  At the IoTWF Shell shared that it has deployed the Cisco Secure Ops Solution to increase the security maturity level by improving its cyber security and risk management, while lowering costs of delivery and operations.

When you think about all the challenges that oil and gas industry companies face today, you'll see that they operate in the world's toughest conditions. Whether it's traditional on-shore or off-shore or non-traditional methods (horizontal drilling and "fracking" for example), energy companies have to be aware of a variety of threats, including safety, environmental, and cyber threats, when making important decisions in real-time.

"Cisco's solution is designed to help companies combat new and evolving cyber security threats to the energy industry, specifically in the industrial control system (ICS) domain. Working with Shell, Cisco has developed solutions that directly address security concerns for the types of  sometimes harsh environments in which Shell operates."

"Cisco Secure Ops is a turn-key solution that implements and maintains security controls, risk management and compliance for industrial control system (ICS) environments using a combination of people, process and technology. Industrial control system delivery partners, like Rockwell and Yokogawa Electric, support the solution. Additional partners will be forthcoming."

Here's a quote from Greg Carter of Cisco (Director/GM, Internet of Everything Services Group, Cisco) that confirms the benefits:

"Cisco Secure Ops Solution was designed to provide a robust and secure solution to quickly address potential threats that come with the increase in connected people, processes and things with IoE. I'm thrilled that Shell is already seeing the benefits from these innovations on a global scale and look forward to continued success with this solution across other verticals in the months ahead."

If you want to learn more about the Cisco Secure Ops solution, click here. To read a copy of the Press release, click here.