Best Cloud Security Practices & PLEXOS Cloud

In our most recent blog on cloud technology and security, we discussed the best cybersecurity practices energy organizations can adopt to minimize cybersecurity risk.  In this blog, we focus on the best cloud-specific security practices and the best-in-class security measures we have built into PLEXOS Cloud to protect our customer’s data.    

As we have discussed in the previous blogs in this series, cloud technologies are imperative to the continued success of energy industry organizations. However, cybersecurity is a particularly important issue in the energy industry, especially as organizations begin to adopt cloud technologies on a wide scale.  While there is a common conception that cloud computing resources are less secure than on-premises resources, experts have noted that that is not the case.  Many cloud solution providers leverage the most advanced cybersecurity practices and safeguards available.  

In addition to the practices we mentioned in out last blog, best cloud-specific security practices include:

• Having a large team of experts who are explicitly responsible for maintaining security, identifying vulnerabilities and mitigating risks.  

• Use of access control such as multifactor authentication (MFA) and single sign on (SSO).  
• Firewalls built around cloud assets.
• Data encrypted in transit and at rest. 

• Adherent to strict security standards and compliances such as SOC and the NERC CIP.  

Cloud providers often offer higher levels of security compared to on-premises solutions due to their expertise, dedicated security teams, and adherence to strict security standards and regulations. Additionally, the scalability and flexibility of cloud solutions allow for more efficient and effective security measures to be implemented and maintained, further enhancing overall security posture. 

When Energy Exemplar developed its PLEXOS Cloud solution, building in the best possible security was a top priority.  Here is a highlight of some of the security certifications, practices, and procedures that come with PLEXOS Cloud:  

• ISO 27001 Certified 
• SOC 2 Type II Certified 
• Data is encrypted in transit and at rest 
• Each customer has its own standard and secure tenant network  
• Application includes multiple levels of controls protecting data from unauthorized access 
• All access to PLEXOS Cloud is authenticated and authorized
• Energy Exemplar leverages backup services and has a strategic disaster recovery plan 
• Annual 3rd party application testing  

• Strong cybersecurity controls and processes in place for Energy Exemplar employees 

Cybersecurity is critical to successful cloud adoption and digital transformation, and utilities and energy organizations can achieve the most comprehensive and cost-effective cybersecurity foundations by following best practices and leveraging cloud solutions. While it's commonly thought that cloud solutions are less secure than on-premises solutions, good cloud providers have security measures that are just as, if not more, robust than on-premises solutions. This is because they are backed by a team of experts who are monitoring systems to guard against security threats and data breaches - resulting in a level of security which is difficult for individual organizations to achieve.  This results in significant cost savings for customers, as building and maintaining a team of experts of this size and level of expertise to monitor systems and data could be cost-prohibitive and may not be the best use of resources.  

Energy Exemplar dedicates significant time and resources to ensuring it has the best possible cybersecurity practices backing our PLEXOS Cloud solution - keeping customer data safe and secure.  If you are ready to explore the possibilities PLEXOS Cloud can provide to your organization and want to learn more about the cybersecurity safeguards built into PLEXOS Cloud, talk to one of our experts!