Download PDF
Hybrid AI Protects the City of Sparks from Ransomware and Phishing Attacks
Technology Category
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Endpoint Security
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Facility Management
Use Cases
- Cybersecurity
- Intrusion Detection Systems
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Cybersecurity Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
Sparks, Nevada, faced repeated ransomware and phishing attacks that bypassed their existing defenses. The city's lean IT team, which lacked a dedicated security expert, found it challenging to manage these attacks while maintaining high service levels. The team considered building an internal security operations center (SOC) but found it costly and time-consuming. They needed a solution that could provide 24x7 monitoring and expert security management without the high costs and resource demands of an in-house SOC.
About The Customer
Sparks, Nevada, is the fifth most populous city in the state and one of the fastest-growing. Located in the Truckee Meadows between the Carson and Virginia mountain ranges, Sparks is an hour's drive from Lake Tahoe and just outside of Reno. It is the closest metropolitan area to the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, home to Tesla Motors' Gigafactory. The city is known for its special events and has a lean IT team that supports administrative offices and public services, including emergency first responders such as the police and fire department. Despite having essential security defenses in place, the city recently experienced repeated cyberattacks, highlighting the need for greater security expertise.
The Solution
The Sparks IT team evaluated the option of building their own SOC versus purchasing a comprehensive solution from Arctic Wolf. They found that an internal SOC would require extensive resources, including hiring a team of security analysts and purchasing expensive software and hardware. Instead, they chose Arctic Wolf's managed security operations solution, which offered 24x7 monitoring by seasoned security experts, a SIEM, and no need for additional software or hardware purchases. Arctic Wolf's solution was deployed quickly and provided immediate value, including identifying security lapses and offering specific endpoint mitigation recommendations. The Arctic Wolf Concierge Security® Team (CST) worked closely with the Sparks IT team, becoming an extension of their internal staff and helping to address all cybersecurity matters.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
Related Case Studies.
Case Study
Turning A Stadium Into A Smart Building
Honeywell created what it called the “intelligent system” for the National Stadium in Beijing, China, turning the venue for the opening and closing events at the 2008 Summer Olympics into a “smart building.” Designed by highly controversial artist Ai Weiwei, the “Bird’s Nest” remains one of the most impressive feats of stadium architecture in the world. The 250,000 square meter structure housed more than 100,000 athletes and spectators at a time. To accommodate such capacity, China turned to Honeywell’s EBI Integrated Building Management System to create an integrated “intelligent system” for improved building security, safety and energy efficiency.
.png)
Case Study
Smart Street Light Network (Copenhagen)
Key stakeholders are taking a comprehensive approach to rethinking smart city innovation. City leaders have collaborated through partnerships involving government, research institutions and solution providers. The Copenhagen Solutions Lab is one of the leading organizations at the forefront of this movement. By bringing together manufacturers with municipal buyers, the Copenhagen Solutions Lab has catalyzed the development and deployment of next-generation smart city innovations. Copenhagen is leveraging this unique approach to accelerate the implementation of smart city solutions. One of the primary focus areas is LED street lighting.
Case Study
Buoy Status Monitoring with LoRa
The Netherlands are well-known for their inland waterways, canals, sluices and of course port activities. The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure indicates that there are thousands of buoys and fixed items in and near water environments that would profit from IoT monitoring. One of the problems with buoys for example, is that they get hit by ships and the anchor cable breaks. Without connectivity, it takes quite some time to find out that something has happened with that buoy. Not to mention the costs of renting a boat to go to the buoy to fix it. Another important issue, is that there is no real-time monitoring of the buoys at this moment. Only by physically visiting the object on the water, one gains insight in its status.
Case Study
China Mobile Smart Parking
Smart Parking, powered by NB-IoT technology, is making it easier for drivers to find free parking spots. Cities can better manage their parking assets and maximize the revenue available to them as a result. Drivers searching for parking create congestion and pollution by circling and hunting for available parking. Smart Parking services are able to significantly ease these problems by guiding a driver directly to a parking space.
Case Study
Barcelona Case Study
Barcelona’s heavy traffic and its associated high levels of pollution were the primary factors that motivated some companies and universities to work on strategies for improving traffic in the city centre. Bitcarrier is one of the technologies involved in the In4Mo Project, whose main objective is to develop the applications that form the core of smart mobility, one of the fundamental pillars of the smart city concept.
