When a Canadian municipal utility provider recognized the rising risks of cyber threats to its critical infrastructure, it set out to align with NERC-CIP cybersecurity standards. Arista Cyber was engaged to perform a comprehensive cybersecurity evaluation, identifying gaps, assessing risks, and designing a roadmap that would guide the utility toward compliance and resilience. The result was a clear strategy to secure essential services while meeting both NERC-CIP and AESO guidelines.

The Story Begins

In the world of power and utilities, every asset counts. For a Canadian municipal utility provider, responsible for keeping the lights on for thousands of residents, the stakes were high. With regulators tightening oversight and threats growing in sophistication, the question was urgent: Were they truly ready to withstand a cyberattack and meet NERC-CIP requirements?

The leadership team decided it was time to act, bringing Arista Cyber in to conduct a comprehensive cybersecurity evaluation that would expose risks, strengthen governance, and chart the way forward.

The Challenge

The utility faced multiple hurdles:

• Unclear Asset Landscape – A complete, categorized asset inventory was missing, limiting visibility.
• Evolving Compliance Expectations – Adhering to NERC-CIP and AESO guidelines required structured evaluation and alignment.
• Architectural Gaps – Network segmentation and architecture required review against best practices.
• Strategic Direction – Leadership needed a roadmap that balanced immediate risks with long-term resilience.

Our Approach

Arista Cyber assigned a senior consultant with 20+ years of OT and automation experience, supported by a junior consultant, to guide the project. The methodology combined technical depth with practical deliverables:

1. Asset Identification & Categorization

   - Conducted a full discovery of OT and IT assets, categorizing them by criticality and risk level.

2. Standards-Based Evaluation

   - Measured existing practices against NERC-CIP standards and AESO guidelines, identifying compliance gaps.

3. Network Security Review

   - Assessed the current architecture, highlighting segmentation improvements and vulnerabilities.

4. Roadmap Development

   - Built a practical, phased roadmap with short-, medium-, and long-term actions to close gaps and strengthen security.

Key Deliverables

• Comprehensive asset register with categorization and risk ratings
• Detailed cybersecurity assessment report aligned with NERC-CIP standards
• Segmented network architecture diagram to strengthen security posture
• Recommendations and mitigation plan with prioritized treatments
• Implementation roadmap for immediate, mid-term, and long-term improvements

Results & Impact

The outcome empowered the municipal utility with:

• Clarity – A complete picture of assets, risks, and compliance gaps
• Confidence – Assurance that operations could align with NERC-CIP and AESO requirements
• Control – A roadmap that gave leadership clear steps to strengthen cybersecurity at every stage
• Resilience – Improved visibility and a segmented network design ready to withstand emerging threats

By the end of the engagement, the utility was no longer asking if it could comply with NERC CIP it had a clear, actionable path to achieve it.

For this Canadian municipal utility, compliance wasn’t just about meeting regulations it was about protecting essential services for its community. Arista Cyber was proud to support them in building a stronger cybersecurity foundation that safeguarded both operations and public trust.