Itron and Crytica Security have formed a collaboration to integrate rapid cyber threat detection into grid-edge infrastructure, aiming to defend operational technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices at municipal water and energy facilities.

The partnership follows a surge in state-sponsored cyberattacks on critical utility networks. In July, Iranian-backed hackers targeted more than 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota and other US states. During the same month, an Iranian-linked group forced a British power station offline for four days, while the US government reported in August that Chinese state-backed hackers had targeted American energy infrastructure.

To address these vulnerabilities, Crytica’s Rapid Detection, Alert and Isolation (RDAi) technology will be integrated into Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio. The systems are designed to complement each other; Itron provides the secure, utility-grade platform and network protection, while Crytica adds continuous integrity monitoring and deterministic detection directly at the grid edge.

The integration utilises a lightweight probe, under 100 kilobytes, embedded within resource-constrained field devices. This allows utilities to monitor both the meter and meter-hosted applications for unauthorised instruction-set changes without reducing IoT device performance or disrupting operational technology environments.

“Utilities are moving intelligence closer to the edge of the grid, and cybersecurity must move with it,” said Don Reeves, Itron’s senior vice president of Outcomes.