Case Study: Houston County Electric Cooperative achieves stronger IT and OT security and NERC CIP compliance with Fortinet Security Fabric

Rural Electricity Co-op Fortifies Its IT and OT Networks With an MSP-delivered Security Fabric

Houston County Electric Cooperative (HCEC) is a rural electric distribution co-op in East Texas serving nearly 25,000 members across nine counties. Facing a flat, outdated network that mixed IT and operational technology (OT) systems—including unstaffed substations, SCADA, and metering—and holding sensitive member data, HCEC needed to segment its network, create an IT/OT air gap, and replace end-of-life security gear while working with very limited IT staff and aiming to align with NERC CIP best practices.

HCEC engaged SkyHelm Technology’s TITAN managed service, built on the Fortinet Security Fabric (FortiGate, FortiSwitch, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, FortiSIEM) and backed by a 24×7 U.S. SOC. SkyHelm delivered network segmentation, integrated device management, and continuous monitoring, reducing vendor sprawl and administrative burden so the IT director could focus on strategic work; post-deployment assessments and analogous customer results show multiple-fold improvements in security posture without increasing IT headcount, with plans to extend Fortinet protections to substations.

Houston County Electric Cooperative

Shelby Vance

IT Director