Power · Leadership
Every change to the control system, tested on a twin before it reaches the grid.
Autarchy’s Coldlight platform builds digital twins of control centres, substations and the corporate networks around them. Your teams patch, test, attack and recover the twin. Nothing touches the live system.
Grid systems run without pause. Control centres, substations and generating stations depend on software that must change: patches, vendor updates, new devices and new connections.
Testing those changes on live systems puts the service at risk. A small lab does not behave like a control centre.
What your teams can do
- 01Test patches and vendor updates against a copy of the control system before they reach it.
- 02Run active vulnerability assessments on the twin instead of on production.
- 03Evaluate new devices, software and remote-access paths before they connect.
- 04Rehearse incident response and recovery with operations, IT and security together.
- 05Train operators and analysts on systems that behave like yours.
- 06Evaluate AI tools and agents before they connect to operational systems.
Why now
13 June 2024
The EU Network Code on Cybersecurity for the electricity sector entered into force.
18 October 2024
NIS2 required EU member states to apply its rules from this date. It covers electricity producers and suppliers, and transmission and distribution system operators.
June 2026
Bill C-8 received Royal Assent in Canada. Its Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act covers designated operators in energy, and comes into force in phases.
Standing requirements
NERC CIP-010-4
NERC CIP-010-4 asks for changes to high impact BES Cyber Systems to be tested before they reach production, where technically feasible, in an environment that models the baseline configuration.
NERC in Canada
In Canada, NERC reliability standards are mandatory and enforceable, or becoming so, in almost all provinces connected to the bulk electric system.
Every environment
Contained by default
What runs inside an environment stays inside it unless you decide otherwise.
Rebuilt exactly
Environments are defined as code. Reset one, change one thing and run the test again.
A record of every run
Every run leaves a record you can review. Compare results across runs and configurations.
The fidelity each test needs
Use lightweight representations where they are enough, and real software and appliances where the test needs them.
Technology-neutral
Open-source, commercial, proprietary and customer-built technology can all be included.
Open formats
Environment definitions use an open, portable specification, so your work is not locked to us.
Where it runs
Hosted
Coldlight as a service. Hosted environments can run in Canada and other jurisdictions.
On-premises
Coldlight inside your own boundary, on infrastructure you control.
Air-gapped
Coldlight on networks with no outside connection.
We can also operate Coldlight for you, and help design environments, deliver exercises and support evaluations.
