“I am very excited to join the Fortress team to help their customers address security needs as new technologies and standards emerge,” said Whitney. He added, “I believe Fortress – and their solutions like A2V – is a game-changer that provides tremendous value for utilities facing similar challenges across the board. Implementing effective, automated security and compliance while minimizing business disruption and cost is no small feat. I look forward to helping our customers do just that.”
Whitney added that he anticipates that the industry will be seeking innovative means to improve critical infrastructure security. Specifically, utilities will be investing in solutions to manage OT (operational technologies) at scale,secure Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber System Information, and to secure their supply chain to improve the grid’s overall security posture.
Whitney knows this territory well after spending six years at NERC, where he led a team that helped deliver CIP-V5 cybersecurity standards, evaluated compliance across the power utility industry, and worked with utilities to ensure effective adoption.This experience uniquely positions him to help Fortress and its customers adapt to changing security and compliance requirements. He will now be a critical player in the development and delivery of Fortress’ broad base of security solutions.
Alex Santos, CEO of Fortress Information Security, stated, “Fortress is very excited to welcome Tobias Whitney. His cognizance of the current state of security and compliance in the utility sector will elevate Fortress’ ability to offer technology and services that align perfectly with utility needs. Whitney’s experience and reputation as an authority in the power utility sector position him as a trusted adviser for utility cybersecurity teams who want to accomplish the parallel goals of security and compliance while balancing budgetary and human resource limitations.”
Overall, Whitney has 20+ years of critical infrastructure security experience, which includes founding the security practice at Burns & McDonnell, and a focus on regulatory compliance, supply chain, and cloud security. Most recently, Whitney spent two years as Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), evaluating risks in supply chain cybersecurity for utilities, developing solutions to address security architecture for utility cloud-based solutions, as well as researching “grid edge” technologies, such as electric vehicle charging and distributed energy infrastructure.
“I’m looking forward to working with a team that wants to establish a security value proposition that is compelling to utilities and their vendors by providing cutting-edge security solutions that ease the burden of regulatory compliance,” Whitney said.
Learn more about Fortress’ work to clarify risks and automate administrative and monitoring tasks across the enterprise here on Fortress’s Power Utilities page.
About Fortress Information Security
Fortress Information Security, based in Orlando, FL, specializes in securing the supply chain and industrial assets of North American critical infrastructure.
For more information, contact Adam Benson at adam@vrge.us or 202.999.9104, or Nick Noll at nnoll@fortressinfosec.com or 205.383.5595.
