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Goldilock - British builder of the multipatented cyber kill-switch, Drawbridge - has signed a US development and production deal with bespoke machine manufacturer Patriot Tools, LLC using its 'measurably secure' production methods for critical infrastructure. Commonly referred to as a ‘cyber kill-switch', the license grants Patriot Tools the right to manufacture and supply Drawbridge within the United States for five years, using solely US-made and sourced components. Goldilock’s NATO selected, multi-patented technology is already deployed in the UK, Europe and Asia, with customers including the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ukrainian CyberCommand, the UK’s third largest energy provider and other energy and water utilities. Goldillock’s US expansion marks the next era of the company’s growth after the launch last month of their facility at the Technology Advancement Centre (the TAC) in the state of Maryland.
Tony Hasek, CEO, Goldilock, said: “As a direct result of supply chain compromise attacks, Goldilock has been obsessive about our own processes and materials since day one, by producing everything in-house, or sourcing exclusively from vetted suppliers within NATO and the EU.“We want to bring that same level of security and peace of mind to our US clients and Patriot Tools provides the level of integrity we have been seeking.”Phase one of Goldilock’s partnership with Patriot Tools will focus on the US manufacturing of its appliance with an external remote proprietary kill-switch trigger designed specifically to protect US Operational Technology networks."
Based on the current Drawbridge 4 port model, the design focuses on US energy generation and transmission and financial services sector needs.Built according to ‘measurably secure’ principles, the unit will comply with stringent standards established under the CHIPS for America ACT (P.L. 116-283) and by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) P1547.3 (GUIDE FOR CYBERSECURITY OF DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES INTERCONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS) and recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North-East Regulatory Commission (NERC) regulations.
Goldilock’s agreement with Patriot Tools comes amid increased awareness of the need for robust cyber kill-switches, following China’s Volt Typhoon attack on US critical national infrastructure. Goldilock CEO and Founder Tony Hasek commented: “Criminal and nation-state actors are becoming increasingly sophisticated and brazen – as demonstrated by China’s recent Volt Typhoon attack. This requires a paradigm shift in our approach to cyber defence. Not all personal, business, national critical infrastructure and military systems and data should be online 24/7. Instead, organisations must adopt ‘disconnectedness’ and be prepared to disconnect OT, IT systems and other digital assets at the drop of a hat.
"The new default must be true physical connection or disconnection on-demand, which is precisely what Goldilock’s patented Drawbridge delivers. We’re excited to bring our revolutionary hardware-based product to the US market to give control back to asset owners and managers.”Patriot Tools CEO Scott Palmer added: “We’ve been creating efficient solutions to industrial problems for decades. As an American manufacturer, delivering trust in the form of 'measurably secure' devices is the foundation of our business. We look forward to building on our collaboration with Goldilock to secure American businesses’ OT and IT infrastructure.”
