Chicago-based vendor, Network Perception, has announced the latest version of its operational technology (OT) network insights platform, NP-View 4.2, with new capabilities including improved parsing and more flexible lookup options. Designed to manage the ever-growing complexity of industrial infrastructure, the insights provided by NP-View 4.2 will help security teams make quicker decisions. While the previous version of NP-View was unable to keep up with the size and complexity of increasing OT networks, the new version’s algorithmic improvements allow it to scale to even the largest files in a matter of minutes or seconds, making it more suitable for industrial networks.
Network Perception CEO Robin Berthier has highlighted part of NP-View’s appeal is the minimal footprint of the product on the operating environment. Unlike most network visibility solutions which require an agent or sensor to scan and discover the network, NP-View reads configuration files very quickly. By keeping its overhead low, the product is suitable for OT networks in sectors like utilities and manufacturing where overly complex network constructs can be difficult to manage.
External path analysis is another new capability introduced in the latest version of NP-View, which can extrapolate information about devices on a network even if they are not mapped in a config file. Berthier explained that not all industrial equipment is modelled on every network, and this feature will give users a better understanding of their network. Network Perception’s key customer base is the electric power industry, which has strict regulatory requirements.
The new features will not change NP-View’s pricing scale and all new capabilities are now available. With tables detailing hundreds of rules being parsed much faster, NP-View 4.2 aims to aid quick decision-making for security teams while still offering robust network visibility and management. With complex and intertwined network constructs, compliance is a critical consideration in the power industry, and outages could cost companies millions of dollars per day.