Automation in Industries Stokes Global Internet of Things Testing Market

Enterprise Iot

Article | May 11, 2023

Internet of Things, generally known as IoT, is a network of objects or things. Embedded sensors help connect and exchange data with other objects via the internet. IoT is often related to the concept of smart homes, including devices like home security systems, cameras, lighting, refrigerators, etc. With all this data being transmitted over the internet, it is easy for the data to be modified, deleted, or stolen, which can lead to an invasion, theft, etc. IoT forensics plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity and security of the data being transmitted. Join us as we explore this fascinating web of devices and how you can get started in this vibrant field of forensics.

IoT Security

Article | June 27, 2023

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing is roaring back to life, and with it comes a renewed focus on Digital Transformation initiatives. The industry stands on the doorstep of its much-anticipated renaissance, and it’s clear that manufacturing leaders need to not only embrace but accelerate innovation while managing critical processes like increasing capacity while maintaining product quality. Effective collaboration will be key to doing both well, but it’s even more critical as workforces have gone and are still largely remote. As the virus swept the globe, it became apparent quickly that there would be winners and losers. Many manufacturers were caught off-guard, so to speak. Before manufacturing’s aforementioned reckoning, the industry had already been notorious for its slow adoption of the digital, data-centric mindset that has transformed other industries.

IoT Security

Article | July 5, 2023

Manufacturers were already digitizing their processes before March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic gave IT and operational professionals in the manufacturing space reasons to want to move faster. Teams that can’t work on the factory floor (pandemic, weather, closed roads, etc.) need a way to monitor and control processes over the network. Supply chain woes—like wildly fluctuating demand and the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal—highlighted the need for agility. A skilled labor shortage has further accelerated plans for automation. Digitization brings visibility and agility The fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, lays the foundation of modern digital manufacturing. It brings together cyber and physical systems, automation, industrial IoT, and better vertical and horizontal integration. The network has a starring role in digital manufacturing, connecting people and applications in any location to factory-floor assets like sensors, actuators, cameras, and industrial automation and control systems (IACS). Benefits of digitization include improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) uptime, product quality, worker safety, cybersecurity, 24/7 asset monitoring and faster new product introduction and accelerating plant buildouts. Four essentials for manufacturing networks As IT and operational professionals work to innovate traditional manufacturing facilities and operations, we must consider that digital manufacturing requires more networks. Here are guidelines for making sure your manufacturing network is up to the task. Use network devices specifically designed for industrial environments like factories In addition to high performance and reliability, industrial routers, switches, and firewalls need to withstand harsh environmental conditions like extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, and humidity. They also need to be able to control access, have support for real-time industrial protocols, and enable the flow of key operational data to move across applications in the cloud. Further, the operational networks they build need to be scalable and highly resilient. We designed our industrial routers and switches to meet these requirements. Give IT and OT visibility and control into what they care about The manufacturing network is a joint project of the IT and OT teams. If you’re on the IT team, you want a solution that works with your existing network management and security applications, and doesn’t require significant training or disruption. You want to automate network maintenance and quickly identify and solve performance issues, especially in this business-critical space. If you’re on the OT team, you’re probably not an IT expert. You want visibility of issues that impact availability, product quality, workforce effectiveness and straightforward recommendations to resolve them. Cisco DNA Center – proven in the largest IT networks – meets all these needs. It automates time-consuming manual tasks, continuously monitors network health, and provides reports and controls on an easy-to-use dashboard. Cisco Cyber Vision gives you visibility into assets and processes. For agile manufacturing, look for “plug-and-play” deployment Manufacturers are simultaneously expanding production, hyper-customizing products, improving operations, and launching new products and services. To achieve these goals, you need the agility to scale product capacity, change product mix, and reallocate resources as needed. Quickly shift networking and production resources where you need them using Cisco DNA Center’s plug-and-play onboarding and provisioning. Pay careful attention to cybersecurity Cybersecurity starts with knowing everything that is connected to your industrial network, who’s talking to each other and what they are saying. Cisco Cyber Vision automatically takes a complete inventory. OT teams use a graphical interface to create production zones (aka network segments) containing all assets that need to communicate. (The painting controller doesn’t need to talk to the assembly-line controller.) Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) deploys polices that block unintended communications between segments to keep malware infections from spreading. Cisco Cyber Vision also takes a baseline of each asset’s usual communications patterns, alerting OT and IT teams to unusual behavior that could be a sign of a security breach. Prepare to do more with less The manufacturing skills shortage has widened the skills gap, with fewer experts left on the plant floor to prevent mistakes and solve crises. Connecting your plant floor helps you do more with less. A resilient network with the four qualities I’ve described—rugged devices, IT and OT collaboration, simpler and agile network management, and cybersecurity—helps you proactively identify potential problems, discover the cause, and resolve them before they affect production or quality.

Article | April 14, 2020

Organizations around the world are coping with a variety of challenges related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Many companies are struggling to convert their processes from ‘in-office’ to ‘remotely accessible’. And, they’re scrambling to find new ways to “remote” tasks – with “remote” now becoming a verb. For example, we’ve heard from many customers that adding or expanding remote employee access capabilities is a hot topic. One such customer told us that they went from 9% of their workforce working remotely, to 52%. Wow! That’s not only a substantial change to operations and processes – it also directly impacts the company’s security posture. The challenge facing OT security practitioners is daunting. We absolutely must secure the people and systems responsible for saving mankind from an alien super-virus pandemic. But, while the bad guys are lobbing attacks from afar, the good guys are acting behind the scenes like NPCs (non-player characters). They’re bypassing the security systems we developed through years of hard work, like using Gmail or Zoom, or turning off anti-virus, in the name of getting things done.