Program 2023
Day 1: Wednesday 22 November 2023
Introduction from the Conference Chair
Andrew West, SCADA Communications Consultant
9:10 am
Case Study: Incorporating brownfield sites with legacy systems into a modern OT environment
- Benefits of integrating systems.
- Support agreements and clear demarcation of responsibilities.
- Cyber Security, risk assessments and mitigation.
- Interfaces, testing and data quality / reliability.
Simon Fryer, OT Systems Lead, Engineering Systems Development, APA Group
9:50 am
SCADA integration of complex systems
- System of systems design approach
- Design development tools and frameworks
- Integration of systems and the importance of standard protocols
Richard Gil, Industrial Control Systems Lead, Rail Network Alliance, Metro Trains Melbourne
10:30 am
Morning tea and networking break
11:00 am
Critical Infrastructure Resilience Strategy – SOCI Security of Critical Infrastructure
Regulations and effects for utility operations
Hamish Hansford, Deputy Secretary, Cyber & Infrastructure Security Group, Department of Home Affairs
11:40 am
Panel: Implementations and strategies for an intense cyber security landscape and technology transformations
- Core fundamentals / principals of a complete security IT / OT security program
- REDSPICE -Addressing the evolving cyber landscape
- Critical Infrastructure Uplift Program -Collaborate and cooperate
- Technology transformation and transmutation – Aggressive leaps in developments driving cyber nationalism
Alan Marjan, Assistant Director-General Cyber Uplift Branch, Australian Cyber Security Centre
Maryam Bechtel, Chief Information Security Officer, AGL
12:40 pm
Cyber Reset – How to transform people, processes and technology into frontline defence forces
1:00 pm
Lunch and networking break
2:00 pm
Planning the utility of the future – Successful strategies to leverage technology and integrate renewable and alternative energies
- Easing the integration of renewables onto the grid through standardised connection and planning principles
- Standardising designs to fast track approvals and minimise engineering effort – DA timeframes, reduce costs, and public consultation processes
- Fast tracking tenders
- Implement and improve emerging technologies for Secondary Systems including communications (5G, MPLS, Microwave, Satellite etc), metering, MPLS, IoT, WiMax, and more
Ray Robinson, Development Manager Secondary Systems, Endeavour Energy
2:40 pm
Zero Touch Deployment
- Reduce cost of installation phase
- Low total cost of ownership (TCO)
- Accuracy of the configuration deployment
- Reduce cost and complexity of maintaining cyber security policies
Ray Lock, Technical Director, Westermo
3:20 pm
Afternoon tea and networking break
3:50 pm
OT Transformation – Aligning SCADA digital strategies to incorporate future disruptive technologies
- Transformation in OT environments
- Industry 4.0, AI, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Digital Engineering and Smart Systems – Picking winners vs hype
- Engaging stakeholders and business sponsors to maximise value of pilot programs
- Strategic planning and tactical implementation of Digital Transformation to the OT environment
Patrick Berry, Operations Technology Leader,Energy, EnergyAustralia
4:30 pm
Case Study: What went down at Укренерго?
- Some significant control system cybersecurity breaches
- What it can take to attack a utility
- Common cybersecurity technical issues in control systems
- Some actions to take to improve cybersecurity posture
Andrew West, SCADA Communications Consultant
5:10 pm
Afternoon networking drinks
7:00 pm
Dinner (Separately bookable)
Day 2: Thursday 23 November 2023
9:00 am
Opening remarks from the conference chair
Andrew West, SCADA Communications Consultant
9:10 am
Securing management approval for upgrades and new implementations
- Key Drivers – Developing the business case, defining requirements
- Design processes, infrastructure, budget and risk analysis
- Procurement strategies, estimating and tender evaluation
- Securing project approval and defining outcomes
Ray Robinson, Development Manager Secondary Systems, Endeavour Energy
9:50 am
Case Study: Accelerated design iterations utilising Digital Twin and Model Based design
- Problem-solving through Digital Twin approach
- Model Based design and simulation – How the initial rudimentary model helped simplify problems and highlight key areas
- Model completion and stakeholder validation
- Functional design specification and implementation
- Utilising algorithms, including artificial intelligence, for comprehensive condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, enhanced reliability and efficiency
- Leveraging the digital twin’s virtual representation to proactively identify and address potential issues before they escalate
Nicholas Baptiste, Technical Director Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, South East Water
10:30 am
Morning tea and networking break
11:00 am
Case Study: Land to sea and all in between – Robust and remote reliable communications in the harshest environments
Geoscience Australia monitor the complete land mass of Australia for seismic activity, plus the oceans beyond for tidal measurements, seismic activity plus the tsunami warning system. These are some of the most remote locations on the planet and one of the largest.
- Longevity – Creating housings to endure the harshest land and sea environments
- First and second phase robust communications – Planning for redundancy when only 1 option is available or cost effective
- Reference stations, telecommunications infrastructure, computing centres, signal generators
- Accuracy and lag times – Ensuring information frequency and availability
- Data Mining – Prioritising and expediating important data
Craig Bugden, Senior Systems Engineer, Geoscience Australia
12:00 pm
Case Study: IoT to AI Strategy in Wastewater – Driving data intelligence in a wastewater utility
- Development and implementation of an Internet of Things platform
- Managing IoT devices at scale
- Operationalising wastewater blockage detection
- Spatial systems integration for data-driven insights and enhanced situational awareness
Adam Drenoyanis, IoT Technical Analyst, Sydney Water
12:20 pm
Lunch and networking break
1:20 pm
Panel: Migrating Legacy Systems to the Cloud – Challenges and tips
- Approaches to moving legacy systems into the cloud – From rehosting (a lift-and-shift approach) to refactoring (completely re-imagining how the application is architected and developed)
- Leveraging open source technology to normalise structures across cloud providers
- Subdividing islands of infrastructure that are all built and run differently to contain and limit complexity
2:20 am
Case Study: SEW Smart Asset – RTU Upgrade
Population Decentralisation – Effects of regional utility operations
- 475 RTU’s to be replaced with SEW’s selected hardware choice
- Resolving existing pain points on previous platform – Comms reliability, battery life, missing data, data accuracy
- Standardised approach to rollout – Same RTU Code used across all asset classes (RB, RG, SI, WB, WG, WR, WT)
- SCADA based configuration platform with automated processes for rollout efficiency & accuracy
- Incorporating innovations like battery test, comms failure reset, instrument flushing
Lyle Bassett, Telemetry Manager, South East Water
2:40 am
Case Study: Project Zero – SA Water – Harvesting operational energy in a water utility
- SA Water deployed turbines in water pipes, solar panels and batteries path of IT/OT rationalisation, harmonising applications that interact with its operational network
- A new system has been implemented that provides device configuration management and cybersecurity management, integrating with existing works management systems
- Field device remote access and auditing enhances team efficiency and system reliability
- Cloud deployment of the new system supports scalability, with the application supported by IT
Lisa Blinco, Senior Water Systems Engineer, & Darren Duncan, SCADA System Alarm Analyst, SA Water
3:40 pm
Alarm management to leverage data-driven decision making: Transforming SCADA operations for increased efficiency and resilience
- Data analytics for proactive maintenance: Predictive maintenance in optimising asset management and reduce equipment failure
- Real time data processing – Real time insights for quick responses to operational challenges
- Automating routine tasks, detecting anomalies and optimising processing parameters
- Cross-departmental collaboration – Enhancing engagement with other departments to ensure successful deployment of data-driven initiatives
Allan Doherty, Senior Control Systems Engineer, Business Improvement, Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal