DP , through EDP Ventures , has

Israeli cybersecurity company that supplies the last line of defence to protect critical infrastructure and to guarantee the integrity of operational data .

Data Point Capital , a venture capital fund focusing on high impact companies , and Scopus Ventures , a venture capital fund investing in category-defining companies , has teamed up with EDP in this joint investment of US $ 4.5 million .

The funding will help support the growth and development that Aperio Systems has witnessed worldwide .

Following highly successful pilot projects across sites in Europe , the Middle East and Africa ( EMEA ), Aperio Systems has moved on to the

installation phase at some of the world ’ s largest utility companies .

EDP Ventures ’ investment follows a successful test with Aperio Systems to protect thermal generation assets , after an initial meeting with it at the 2016 Web Summit . After that , EDP came across Aperio once again at the Free Electrons – Global Startup Acceleration Program where it was elected as the Most Innovative Energy Startup and took first place in the ‘ Pitch Off Competition ’.

Luís Manuel , Executive Board Member at EDP Inovação / EDP Ventures , said : “ Aperio Systems impressed us as a truly innovative company during a successful pilot in which the system was rigorously tested and showed its ability to prevent sophisticated attacks ( APTs : Advanced Persistent Threats ).

“ The utility sector is embracing the digital world at an incredible speed – with devices including smart meters , Internet-connected home devices and smartphones – making us ever more dependent on sensors to protect our most critical systems from malicious attacks and potential damage . By protecting critical assets – whether they are isolated systems or IoT connected to physical systems – Aperio Systems offers resilience and security .”

Aperio Systems pioneered the first technology to detect artificial manipulations of industrial datatreatment . From the rate of gas flow at a petroleum refinery , to the temperature and spin rates of turbines in a power plant or the chlorine level of water supply networks , Aperio Systems ’ proprietary Data Forgery Protection

( DFP ) technology delivers the last line of defence in protecting critical assets against insider and external threats .

Cyberattacks , particularly those that have received a lot of public attention , have demonstrated that attackers are able to penetrate critical systems . Once attackers breach a system , the only way to cause severe and long-lasting damage is to blind operators by falsifying data . Aperio Systems detects when systems are lying by displaying altered data , enabling the plant ’ s operators to prevent damage before it is too late .

EDP Ventures , Data Point Capital and Scopus Ventures join a consortium of private investors , including prominent cybersecurity veterans Doron Bergerbest-Eilon , Liran Tancman and Shlomi Boutnaru , leading figures in Israel ’ s cybersecurity ecosystem . “ We are thrilled by EDP ’ s vote of confidence and are excited by the possibilities offered through the investments from EDP Ventures , Data Point Capital and Scopus Ventures , which allow us to expand Aperio Systems ’ presence globally to protect critical infrastructure and ensure data quality ,” said Michael Shalyt , CEO of Aperio Systems .

“ This past year has demonstrated without a doubt that physical assets are the true targets of attacks against critical infrastructure . You don ’ t target nuclear plant engineers to steal credit cards . Securing critical infrastructure has tangible financial , social and even life-or-death implications . We are excited to see that heavy industries are becoming more aware of the threats and taking them seriously .” u

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