Case Study: a major U.S. natural gas utility protects its air-gapped network from hacked devices with Sepio

a major U.S. natural gas utility detects hacked devices in under 24 hours with Sepio

The major U.S. natural gas utility faced a significant cybersecurity challenge when its air-gapped network was compromised, leading to the exfiltration of classified documents. The breach was traced back to a hacked USB mouse that used HID keyboard emulation to execute malicious scripts and create a covert communication channel, bypassing all existing security controls. The utility engaged Sepio and its Asset Risk Management platform to gain visibility into this hidden hardware-level threat.

Sepio's solution provided holistic, objective threat visibility by leveraging data at the physical layer to create a unique DNA profile for every asset, including compromised peripherals. The platform's Asset Risk Factor (ARF) score prioritized risks and enabled automated mitigation, instantly blocking any device that violated predefined rules. By integrating with the utility's existing cybersecurity tools, Sepio delivered actionable visibility and control without performance impact, ensuring the network was protected from future attacks using hacked USB devices.