Published: Jul 07, 2025

Realising impact with AI, digital twins and cyber security

Part 4 – Asset intelligence: An NCS whitepaper

Modern challenges require smarter, integrated solutions – ones that can provide real-time visibility into asset health, enable predictive and prescriptive insights, and optimise maintenance and investment decisions. This shift demands reimagining systems and approaches, with cloud-based platforms, AI, and digital twins at the centre. 

In Part 4 of our asset management whitepaper, we share more our work with digital twins, and reflect on the importance of securing operational technology (OT) assets in today’s environment.
 

Digital twins provide a real-time virtual representation of physical assets, enabling a shift from reactive maintenance to predictive operations.
 

Supporting our clients’ success 

Enabling our clients to succeed is integral to our work at NCS. Here are some examples that showcase how we’ve delivered value.

Hybrid digital twin at North East Water  

North East Water exemplifies this shift through its deployment of a hybrid digital twin built on AWS IoT TwinMaker, SiteWise, and Grafana. The platform brings SCADA and IoT data into a predictive system accessible by frontline staff, enabling early detection of sewer pump anomalies and supporting faster interventions. The digital twin solution collected data from the existing SCADA data lake and brings the data feed online in a safe and effective approach.
 

Modernising IT/OT infrastructure for a major regional utility 

A major regional utility engaged with NCS Australia through an innovation association within the water industry to modernise their IT/OT infrastructure through digital twin and cloud technologies. Major tasks of the project involved: 

• aggerating disparate IT/OT systems 
• data cleaning, processing and modelling 
• 3D scene setting with real-time data & alerts, and business intelligence dashboards
   

Cloud-based digital twin for Melbourne Water 

NCS developed a cloud-based digital twin for Melbourne Water that simulates the entire recycled water production process, integrating data from multiple platforms. This system is integrated with AI models and helps anticipate factors that could affect the production of recycled water, ensuring a more reliable supply and improving customer communication.   

The digital twin provides three-day advance notice of critical turbidity levels, providing early warning to both operational teams and customers, as well as visibility about when recycled water production can resume.
 

A Melbourne Water treatment plant.
 

As industrial and infrastructure environments become more digitally connected, the attack surface for OT systems is rapidly expanding. Unlike traditional IT environments, OT assets such as SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, field sensors, and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers)—were not originally designed with cyber threats in mind and often lack fundamental security controls. 

In today’s regulatory and threat landscape, securing these systems is not optional—it is a critical imperative. The Australian Government’s Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act mandates that operators of critical infrastructure implement and maintain risk management programs, including cybersecurity obligations. For many organisations, this means aligning their OT security strategies with recognised frameworks such as the Australian Energy Sector Cybersecurity Framework (AESCSF), the Essential Eight, and IEC 62443.

Effective OT cybersecurity requires: 

• Real-time threat detection and anomaly monitoring, 
• Robust access control and network segmentation, 
• Centralised incident response and clear governance structures, 
• Compliance with SOCI-mandated risk management and reporting duties. 

One industrial manufacturer, for example, enhanced its OT security posture by segmenting its network, deploying continuous monitoring tools, and establishing a centralised threat response protocol. These measures reduced incident response times by 40% and delivered a measurable uplift in overall cyber maturity.

With both regulatory pressure and cyber threats intensifying, Australian organisations must act decisively. OT cybersecurity is no longer just about protecting operations  it’s about fulfilling national obligations and safeguarding critical infrastructure.
 

From reactive to predictive: Realising impact 

AI and digital twins offer measurable improvements in asset management: 

• Operational efficiency: Faster issue detection and response 
• Customer reliability: Reduced service outages and disruptions 
• Cost reduction: Smarter maintenance cycles and fewer emergency repairs 
• Sustainability: Lower emissions, reduced waste, and optimised resource use 

The transformation is not limited to traditional utilities. ConX, a SaaS provider for construction contractors, illustrates the broader impact of cloud-native asset management. Partnering with NCS and Google Cloud, ConX reduced infrastructure costs by 70% and accelerated software release cycles by over 50%. With 99.99% uptime and BigQuery-powered analytics, the company now supports 2,500 users and is integrating machine learning to automate key tasks like plan take-offs.