Industrial zero-trust cybersecurity startup XONA Systems Inc. announced today that it has raised $18 million in new funding to enhance its operational technology enterprise zero-trust user access platform to meet evolving regulatory requirements and stave off increasing cyberattacks.

Founded in 2017, XONA offers a zero-trust user access platform for industrial operations. The company’s platform is focused on enabling frictionless user access for OT and other critical industry environments while delivering protocol isolation and zero-trust architecture that eliminates common attack vectors.

XONA says its service enables user access that is purpose-built for OT, is technology-agnostic and can be configured in minutes. Its protocol isolation and zero-trust architecture immediately eliminates common attack vectors while giving authorized users seamless and secure control of operational technology from any location or device, according to XONA.

The company’s platform offers integrated multifactor authentication, user-to-asset access controls, user session analytics and automatic video recording. The secure portal connects the cyber and physical worlds and enables critical operations to happen from anywhere with total confidence and trust.

Key security features include control access to critical assets and applications from any location, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information through stringent access controls and logging of all access attempts for comprehensive audit trails. The system supports secure file transfers via mediated unidirectional methods, keeping sensitive data protected and virtual desktop infrastructure access enables users to securely connect to critical systems from anywhere.

To enhance user authentication, XONA also employs hardware token-based multifactor authentication for additional security. Industry-standard IPSec and SSL encryption protocols protect user connections and data in transit, ensuring secure communication.

ZONA’s system continuously monitors live user connections, detecting and mitigating potential security threats in real time. Additionally, the platform records all user sessions, providing a detailed history of interactions with critical assets.

Energy Impact Partners LLC led the strategic funding round.

“We’re quickly expanding our team to support our energy, oil and gas, manufacturing and government partners as they respond to the cybersecurity challenges associated with remote operations capacity,” Bill Moore, founder and chief executive of XONA, said ahead of the announcement. “With new funding and strategic support from EIP, we are positioned for hypergrowth over the next few years.”

Including the new funding, XONA has raised $27.4 million to date, according to data from Tracxn. Previous investors include DataTribe Inc. and Task Force X Capital LLC.

Image: XONA