Strengthening OT Resilience with Smart Metering

A national energy gas infrastructure operator embarked on a large‑scale transformation to replace millions of legacy gas meters with next‑generation smart devices from Honeywell.

The initiative required managing multiple OT security topics in parallel, from architecture (based on the Purdue model) to asset classification, network segmentation, continuous monitoring, and secure remote access. Together, these areas played a critical role in strengthening cyber resilience, accurate and manageable billing, and streamlining operations, while also enabling secure customer onboarding for more than 3 million end-users.

The organization aimed to achieve:

• More efficient business operations, including near real‑time consumption capture and improved billing processes.
• Predictive maintenance capabilities, enabled by accurate and continuous resilience device telemetry.
• A strengthened cybersecurity posture, ensuring operational resilience across their IT/OT landscape.
• Eliminating shadow OT assets to ensure full transparency and reduce unmanaged risk.
• Establishing a unified view of all operational assets across IT and OT to strengthen control and governance.
• Coordination across technical, operational, and business stakeholders, adding further complexity to an already large‑scale transformation.

Reflecting on the complexity of the landscape, Oluf highlights a key discovery made early in the deployment:

“During our AMI deployment, we identified several shadow OT assets connected to the client’s smart metering network, including undocumented field gateways and communication nodes interfacing with the Head-End System (HES). This discovery significantly improved our visibility into the metering infrastructure and allowed us to address potential security gaps before they could impact operations. A big win for compliance and and resiliency,” Oluf says.

The project resulted in a secure, scalable, and future‑proof smart‑metering ecosystem that strengthens both operational efficiency and cybersecurity.

These outcomes significantly improve the client’s billing accuracy, reduce operational risk, and provide a robust foundation for future digital initiatives.

“My goal was not just to deliver the project, but to leave the client with a sustainable OT security strategy, improved visibility into their operational environment, and the capabilities needed to manage cyber risks long after the engagement is completed,” Oluf says.

More specifically, the client achieved:

• More accurate and near real‑time consumption data, directly integrated into the client’s cloud‑based ERP system.
• A smart meter bootstrapping platform, enabling efficient onboarding of millions of devices.
• A stronger cybersecurity posture, spanning both IT and OT domains.
• Elimination of shadow OT, ensuring transparency and control over all operational assets.
• A clear and unified model for planning and managing future projects.
• Rollout of a new OT security product, offering a fully inventoried and monitored OT environment.

The insights from expert Oluf Oyewumi, in the role of the Architect and Product Owner, highlighted how advanced meter infrastructure can strengthen operational resilience.