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Importance of Adopting IIoT and its Security

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Kevin Asutton
Importance of Adopting IIoT and its Security

What is Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)?

To gather, monitor, and analyze data from industrial activities, an ecosystem of devices, sensors, apps, and related networking hardware is used by industrial IoT. Analyzing such data improves maintenance and troubleshooting capabilities while also increasing visibility. Additionally, it can lower expenses, boost security, and increase productivity.

Why should organizations consider adopting industrial IoT?

Thanks to industrial IoT, organizations may get valuable data from their operations. Moreover, they can better control functions thanks to the data after it has been appropriately examined and aggregated.

·        Increase worker protection

·        By doing proactive maintenance on the machines, increase production uptime.

·        Keep product quality high and aid in ensuring legal compliance

·        Boost operational effectiveness

·        Improve response times by collecting and processing operational data in real time.

Major considerations for adopting IIoT

Depending on an organization's digital transformation, it could be necessary to switch from analogue to digital information sources, securely connect them, and create applications that can consume the data and produce valuable insights.

Network equipment

Switches, routers, and wireless devices that link IIoT devices must have the required bandwidth and be able to resist harsh environmental conditions, whether they are found in factories or outdoors. Furthermore, this equipment must support the communication protocols to enable visibility and aid endpoint monitoring. Additionally, network hardware should be able to run edge apps, extract, curate, and transmit operational data to applications running in a data center or the cloud to respond quickly to developing scenarios.

Centralized connectivity deployment and monitoring

The centralized visibility of device connectivity is essential if organizations scale and monitor their installations effectively. Businesses must be able to precisely and quickly deploy and configure connections to their edge equipment and devices. Additionally, they must enable safe remote access to the equipment to swiftly change configurations and fix problems while keeping an eye on alerts.

Asset tracking and monitoring

IIoT equipment, assets, and facilities must be tracked and monitored continuously to remain operational. Such visibility enables you to recognize possible problems before they have a chance to affect business operations, employee safety, and income. You can prevent permanent damage by, for instance, keeping an eye on if the equipment is operating excessively hot or if a door has been left open.

Strong cybersecurity

All linked devices increase the threat surface. Particularly vulnerable are operational equipment, and an attack could have serious repercussions. Therefore, it is crucial to have strong security based on the zero-trust concept. You must create trust parameters in this model by identifying and analyzing connected endpoints. Additionally, you divide the network into zones and regularly watch over each endpoint's behavior to ensure its dependability. You can then take the necessary action to reduce risk if aberrant behavior is discovered that might suggest an endpoint is infected.

The Importance of Security for Industrial IoT

Security for IoT in the industry is crucial. The risk of company data loss is one of the main factors. Given the increased connections today, losing access to internal systems could significantly impair a company's capacity to conduct business or even threaten its survival.

The same is true for the medical, aerospace, and defense sectors, where increased responsibility is necessary due to patents, trade secrets, and regulated confidentiality. The loss of ownership and use of these priceless intellectual assets could negatively impact a business or expose it to substantial liability risks resulting from a confidentiality breach.

Safety is an essential factor in industrial IoT security. Concerns about public and company safety are present both within and outside of IIoT. For example, a security lapse that permits unauthorized access to devices could result in harm or fatalities. Additionally, a violation allowing the modification of a pharmaceutical formula or an aircraft part performance characteristic might increase the safety risk for many persons outside the organization.

Barracuda Secure Connector

Every industrial Internet of things (IoT) device needs a firewall. Barracuda Secure Connector enables cost-effective scaling, no-touch deployment, and comprehensive IoT security for every device. Operational technology and industrial control systems can be safeguarded using Barracuda's trustworthy firewall models, which offer complete protection, connection control systems for industrial use, and the ability to link active networks to IT networks.

Barracuda Cloud Generation Firewalls are designed to be flexible, easy to use, and simple to maintain while offering comprehensive next-generation security. Barracuda CloudGen Firewall devices quickly identify, report, and enforce industrial protocols sub-protocols (SCADA). Additionally, it provides extensive logging, full access to your data, and, if necessary, a quick and straightforward firewall replacement without a protracted license and activation process.

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