Itron and Crytica Security have announced a technology collaboration focused on detecting cyber threats and improving operational visibility across utility grid-edge infrastructure.

The collaboration is designed to integrate Crytica’s Rapid Detection, Alert and Isolation technology, RDAi, into Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio. The integration is intended to provide continuous integrity monitoring and alerts closer to where grid activity occurs.

According to the companies, the technology will add a layer of cybersecurity visibility across IT and operational technology environments, including intelligent grid-edge devices, meter-hosted applications and edge workloads.

Itron’s Grid Edge Intelligence portfolio includes layered device, network, communications and data protection. The integration of Crytica’s RDAi technology is intended to extend that security foundation with embedded monitoring that can detect unauthorized changes to devices without affecting device performance.

The companies said the technology can help utilities identify potential compromises earlier, accelerate investigation and response, and strengthen resilience across field assets.

“Utilities are moving intelligence closer to the edge of the grid, and cybersecurity must move with it,” said Don Reeves, Itron’s senior vice president of Outcomes. “Itron has long helped utilities deploy secure, reliable and resilient infrastructure at scale. Our collaboration with Crytica builds on that foundation by adding rapid, embedded threat detection designed for the next generation of grid-edge applications.”

The collaboration is designed to bring monitoring directly into resource-constrained utility field devices and the applications running on them. Crytica’s lightweight probe continuously monitors devices and generates alerts when unauthorized changes are detected.

The companies said the approach is intended to complement existing cybersecurity platforms by extending visibility into operational technology environments where traditional endpoint tools may not operate.

The collaboration also is intended to allow utilities to monitor meters and meter-hosted applications through a common integrity monitoring framework. In addition to cybersecurity monitoring, the integration is expected to provide performance-related alerts that can help identify conditions affecting device health, reliability and availability.

“Crytica’s RDAi technology was purpose-built for demanding, resource-constrained operational environments,” said C. Lloyd Mahaffey, executive chairman and co-founder of Crytica Security. “By working with Itron, we can extend rapid detection and actionable alerts into utility grid-edge infrastructure at scale, helping utilities see potential issues earlier and respond with greater confidence.”

The collaboration comes as Itron works to support utilities transitioning from traditional advanced metering infrastructure to Grid Edge Intelligence, combining distributed intelligence, connectivity, analytics and security.

Crytica said its RDAi technology can identify unauthorized instruction-set changes within seconds and generate alerts. The companies also said the technology is intended to provide visibility into device health and performance conditions that could affect reliability, availability or service delivery.