Waterfall

High-Level Overview

Waterfall Security Solutions is an industrial cybersecurity company founded in 2007, specializing in hardware-enforced, unidirectional gateways that protect critical infrastructure from cyber attacks while enabling safe IT/OT integration, remote monitoring, and cloud connectivity.[1][2][3] It serves sectors like power plants, oil & gas, water utilities, rail, manufacturing, facilities, mining, and nuclear plants, with over 1,000 sites across more than 20 verticals and customers worldwide, including utilities and energy firms that praise its unbreachable protection for physical assets and operational continuity.[1][2][3] The company solves the problem of cyber threats targeting operational technology (OT) systems—where traditional firewalls fail—by physically blocking inbound attacks, simplifying regulatory compliance, and supporting diverse industrial protocols without introducing vulnerabilities.[1][3]

Origin Story

Waterfall Security Solutions was established in 2007 in Israel, with headquarters there and global offices in the UAE, Singapore, USA, Europe, and Australia.[2][3] While specific founders are not detailed in available sources, the company emerged amid rising cyber risks to industrial control systems, pioneering patented unidirectional technology to address gaps in software-only defenses.[1][3] Early traction came from deployments in high-stakes environments like power and nuclear plants, evolving to protect thousands of sites globally by combining hardware barriers with software for secure remote access and forensics.[1][2][3]

(Note: Search results also reference a separate UK-based Waterfall Technology Ltd, a small software firm in Egham with 1-5 employees, active but unrelated to the industrial cybersecurity leader.[4][5])

Core Differentiators

• Unidirectional Hardware Gateways: Patented technology creates a physical, one-way data diode that prevents remote cyber attacks from reaching OT systems, unlike firewalls that can be exploited; supports IT/OT integration, remote diagnostics, and cloud connectivity without bidirectional risks.[1][2][3]
• Broad Protocol and Platform Support: Compatible with the widest range of industrial protocols, applications, databases, and remote monitoring tools, enabling seamless operations across diverse critical infrastructures.[1][2]
• Regulatory Compliance and Forensics: Simplifies adherence to security standards with tamper-proof logging; deployed in over 1,000 sites across 20+ verticals, earning 5-star reviews from energy, utilities, healthcare, and biotech leaders for reliability.[1][2][3]
• Global Scale and Innovation: 14 published patents, 6 sales/ops hubs, and proven protection for physical assets like turbines and water treatment systems, where software alone falls short against sophisticated threats.[2][3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Waterfall rides the surge in cyber-physical threats to critical infrastructure, where nation-state attacks and ransomware target OT systems amid digital transformation like IIoT and cloud adoption.[1][3] Its timing aligns with escalating incidents in energy and utilities, where safe connectivity is essential but firewalls prove insufficient, positioning hardware-enforced solutions as a market force for resilience.[2][3] By enabling secure remote access without compromise, Waterfall influences the ecosystem, protecting public safety, equipment integrity, and operations in power grids, water treatment, and rails—sectors vital to global stability—and setting a standard for "unbreachable" OT security that others emulate.[1][2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Waterfall is poised for expansion as OT cyber risks intensify with AI-driven attacks and geopolitical tensions, potentially scaling via partnerships in emerging markets like renewables and smart cities.[2][3] Trends like zero-trust architectures and regulatory mandates (e.g., for critical infrastructure) will propel demand for its physical barriers, evolving its role from protector to enabler of fully connected, resilient industries. Its influence may grow through acquisitions or integrations with AI monitoring, reinforcing why it's stronger than firewalls in safeguarding the digital-physical divide that defines modern tech.