More and more of manufacturing is becoming connected. Ford in the UK, for instance, recently launched a dedicated 5G private network to support the robotic welding of components for electric cars at its factory in Essex.
Credit: Lenny Kuhne on Unsplash
This trend, driven by the pervasive rise in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is only going to increase the number of connected devices within the manufacturing ecosystem. In fact, a forecast from IDC estimated that there will be 41.6 billion connected Internet of Thing (IoT) devices generating 79.4 zettabytes of data by 2025.
The challenge for the manufacturing sector is that these new devices are converging with existing Operational Technology (OT) systems and are being retrofitted to current process machinery that was never intended to be connected to the outside world. So, how can NetOps teams remedy this issue and how can enterprises in the manufacturing industry ensure complete security across their IIoT networks? The short answer is observability.
Why observability is so important?
There are many benefits to come from increasing connectivity within the manufacturing process, from automatic adjustments to tools during production to predictive maintenance alerts reducing system downtime. However, there is also an inherent problem; many of the systems that are being connected were never designed to handle the volume of data now generated, and there is often little or no consideration given to external threat analysis.
Without a clear line of sight into all devices across IIoT and OT networks, it becomes impossible to manage and protect the data and, in turn, the workforce. Manufacturers should always prioritise gaining observability into the devices within their IIoT network (both authorised and unauthorised) so they understand the quantity, the location, the regularity of use and the status of the latest patches on every asset. What’s more, gaining sight of the servers that each device communicates with and how vulnerable that chain is to malicious actors is essential.
Anthony Brown, Director, Gigamon
Anthony Brown the Director of Gigamon.
Visibility into the industrial network will also allow IT teams to see where their data is going and analyse whether it is all being directed to the right tools. Therefore, a clearer view not only bolsters security for IIoT and OT, but it also means enterprises can boost their service performance and scale their offerings. For example, integrating de-duplication processes can reduce unnecessary traffic running past security monitors and thus prevent packet loss, avoiding expensive and un-budgeted maintenance costs. Manufacturers can save a significant amount of IT and security spend, as rather than upgrading or changing tools, they can simply reduce traffic and optimise their networks. These savings are an important element given the current financial climate and the ongoing need for businesses to do less with more as budgets remain tight. If better IIoT cybersecurity comes part and parcel with this, visibility is a win-win for manufacturing enterprises.
How do you achieve observability?
In order to gain a sufficient level of visibility into the IIoT and all its connected devices and derive real intelligence, security issues must be addressed within the network and not at each endpoint. While both are important, and end-point security often has advantages over network solutions, many IoT devices are now incompatible with the traditional PC security software that IT teams use to secure end-points. What’s more, if a more secure network is prioritised, end-point security needs only to be a last line of defence. A ‘single pane of glass’ view into all environments from cloud to on-premises is also key, as it means SecOps teams will not struggle to piece together the various insights and analytics of separate tools. Instead, all data and potential threats can be seen at once. This holistic approach to observability should also incorporate a view into east-west traffic as well as data flowing between the cloud and IIoT.
The very foundation for cybersecurity is network and device visibility. Converged and connected environments will play a huge role in allowing innovation and productivity in the world of manufacturing. However, as the environment becomes increasingly futile, and hackers continue to target this industry (recent reports state that cyberattacks on manufacturing organisations rose by 300% in a year) good cyber hygiene has never been more important. Enterprises should not underestimate the risk of working with connected devices and IIoT networks. Yet when carefully considered, with plans and technology in place to mitigate the danger of cybercrime, connectivity will be the key to realising the promise of Industry 4.0.
- The author, Anthony Brown, is the Director at Gigamon.
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