Energy providers operate some of the most targeted critical infrastructure in the world. From power generation and transmission to oil and gas pipelines, cyberattacks on the energy sector have grown in frequency and severity and credential-based attacks remain the most common entry point. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a foundational control for protecting both IT and operational technology (OT) environments, and a direct requirement under key compliance frameworks including NERC CIP.
LoginTC is built for the specific demands of energy sector security: on-premises deployment, air-gapped network support, offline authentication, and a wide range of authentication methods that work without smartphones or internet connectivity.
Why do Energy-sector organizations need MFA?
The energy sector has become one of the most targeted industries for ransomware, nation-state intrusions, and supply chain attacks. Coming off the heels of the Colonial Pipeline attack, one of the largest cyber attacks in history, many cyber criminals continued to target energy providers with ransomware and DDoS attacks. These cyber attacks on the energy sector can have far-reaching consequences through interconnected supply chains.
Energy organizations face a distinct challenge: their environments combine traditional IT networks with operational technology (OT) systems, including industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA platforms, and distributed control systems (DCS), that were often designed without modern security controls in mind. Securing both layers with consistent, reliable MFA is not straightforward, but it is essential.
NERC CIP Compliance and MFA
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standards set mandatory security requirements for organizations operating bulk electric systems in North America. NERC CIP-007 and NERC CIP-005 include explicit requirements for strong authentication on electronic access points to critical cyber assets.
LoginTC helps energy organizations meet these requirements by providing auditable, policy-driven MFA across all access points, including VPNs, remote desktop, Windows logon, SCADA interfaces, and more. Every authentication event is logged centrally, giving compliance teams the audit trail they need for NERC CIP assessments and incident reporting.
LoginTC is ISO 27001 certified, providing an additional layer of assurance for organizations operating under strict regulatory oversight.
Operational technology environments present unique MFA challenges. SCADA systems, historian servers, and industrial control platforms often run legacy operating systems, have limited network connectivity, and cannot support the same authentication flows as standard enterprise IT. Many OT environments also prohibit smartphones entirely, ruling out app-based push notifications as an option.
LoginTC addresses these constraints directly:
No smartphone required: hardware OTP tokens, passcode grids, FIDO2 security keys, and smart cards all work without a mobile device
Legacy OS support: LoginTC connectors are compatible with older Windows environments common in OT deployments
On-premises deployment: LoginTC Managed runs entirely within your environment, with no dependency on external cloud services
Offline authentication: users can authenticate without network connectivity using hardware tokens or passcode grids
RADIUS integration: LoginTC integrates via RADIUS, making it compatible with virtually any OT system that supports network-based authentication
Many energy sector OT environments are air-gapped, meaning that they are physically isolated from external networks to prevent unauthorized access. Standard cloud-based MFA solutions cannot function in these environments, as they depend on outbound internet connectivity to verify authentication requests.
LoginTC Managed is designed specifically for air-gapped deployments. The authentication server runs entirely on-premises within your isolated network, with no external connections required. Authentication methods such as hardware OTP tokens, passcode grids, and FIDO2 security keys generate credentials locally, meaning the entire MFA process occurs within the air-gapped environment from end to end.
Energy infrastructure like substations, remote generation facilities, pipeline monitoring stations are often located in areas with unreliable or no network connectivity. An MFA solution that fails open when the network is unavailable creates exactly the kind of gap attackers look for.
LoginTC is an always-on MFA solution. When a device cannot reach the LoginTC server, authentication is enforced using offline methods rather than bypassed. Users at remote sites can authenticate using hardware tokens, passcode grids, or FIDO2 keys with no network required. MFA is never skipped, regardless of connectivity status.
Cloud-based MFA introduces dependencies that many energy organizations cannot accept, like external connectivity requirements, data residency concerns, and reliance on a third-party availability. LoginTC Managed is a fully on-premises MFA deployment that runs within your own infrastructure, giving your security team complete control over authentication data and availability.
LoginTC Managed is purpose-built for environments where security and operational continuity cannot be compromised, including critical infrastructure, air-gapped networks, and OT environments with strict isolation requirements.
With LoginTC, you can secure your critical operations with trusted MFA.
LoginTC offers a wide variety of flexible authentication methods for every possible end user. With LoginTC, you can lock down your environment securely, while ensuring uninhibited access for authorized individuals.
Yes. LoginTC provides strong multi-factor authentication across electronic access points to critical cyber assets, with centralized audit logging to support NERC CIP-005 and NERC CIP-007 compliance requirements. LoginTC is also ISO 27001 certified.
Can LoginTC MFA work in an air-gapped OT environment?
Yes. LoginTC Managed deploys entirely on-premises with no external connectivity required. Authentication methods including hardware tokens, passcode grids, and FIDO2 keys generate credentials locally, making them fully compatible with air-gapped environments.
What if our OT users cannot use smartphones?
LoginTC supports multiple non-smartphone authentication methods including hardware OTP tokens, passcode grids, FIDO2 security keys, and smart cards — all of which work without a mobile device or internet connection.
Does LoginTC work with SCADA and ICS systems?
Yes. LoginTC integrates via RADIUS, which is widely supported across SCADA platforms, historians, and industrial control systems. This allows LoginTC to add MFA to OT systems without requiring application-level changes.
What happens if the network goes down at a remote site?
LoginTC never bypasses MFA due to a network outage. Users at disconnected sites authenticate using offline methods — hardware tokens, passcode grids, or FIDO2 keys — ensuring MFA is enforced regardless of connectivity status.
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