Cybersecurity is a concern for nearly every business and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest threats and the best practices. Employees working in restaurants, factories, or other companies that utilise wireless sensor networks to aid in access control and monitoring of equipment will make their job simpler or safer, however, these IoT devices also have to adhere to security guidelines. (fortinet security for networks)
Many people ask me how to ensure that IIoT sensor systems are secure. Here are a few of the most frequently asked concerns I receive about how to ensure they are secure along with a list of the security basics my company suggests.
Hardware security is also crucial but how do you go do you think? (fortinet Network security)
Every wireless sensor contains hardware components that have to be protected. Sensors as well as the gateway that collects the data should be linked securely , and only for the purpose of preventing any other devices from interfering and to stop users from entering the network without authorization. We’ve all used wireless data networks in our homes and at work, so we are familiar with the concept.
As you will see, the basic principles are the same. Certain wireless vibration sensors that are used in production line equipment should be able to connect via only that gateway with which they are digitally linked to, not the gateway at that factory that is linked to them. The gateway must not be connected to any sensors that are already connected to another gateway, even though the sensors are located in the same location as the gateway.
What is the best way to prevent the theft of data? (fortinet security for networks)
The data that sensors send into the gateway, it transmits the data to the cloud at predetermined dates. It is possible for someone to access the transmission process:
Outside devices are able to be connected to the gateway. This is how it works: The gateway isn’t part of the firewall.
In this instance the data doesn’t have protection prior to being sent to another person.
A secure gateway is configured to block connections from devices outside of the sensor network. The gateway should be able to work within the firewall of the client’s network. It must be able access the IP address of the external network that they’ll use to transmit their data using a particular port.
When sensor network data is transmitted via the network gateway, data needs to be encrypted and transmitted over an encrypted connection to prevent the public from listening and hackers from getting caught at the centre. To secure IIoT data transmissions made through Secure Sockets Layer, for instance using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) used by both the private and government sector is a great option since it will keep information secure (SSL).
The sensor’s data cloud can be accessed by other devices.
Ideal: No. Access to the cloud for the wireless IoT sensor data should be restricted to gateways that the user has signed up through the cloud service. All other devices should not be connected to the cloud. This will prevent other devices from communicating with the cloud and accessing private or proprietary information or even destroying it.
What are the consequences of third-party apps?
A well-designed IIoT sensor will come with an encrypted dashboard that lets users view their cloud-based data and communicate with them. However, clients who wish to develop their own apps which work with sensor data in the cloud must have APIs.
The provider of the network should have an API that is approved and clients are able to use to modify their settings. The API must adhere to the REST standard to manage security at the endpoint. Customers who utilise the API should be given a unique and secure API key which they can use with an authentic password and username to access information about their account.
The cloud server must give the user a limited time authorization token which they are able to use whenever they wish to retrieve information off the servers. This will prevent the data of the network from getting accessible even if both credentials of the user and the API key are later stolen.
What is the security aspect?
It’s becoming more crucial this year to prevent individuals from getting their hands on cloud-based data due to the fact that many businesses have shifted to remote working and needed to make it easier for employees to work at home. There’s been an increase in the amount of data breaches that are caused by insiders, whether deliberately or inadvertently from the year 2015. It means that around one-third of all breaches are now caused by insiders.
Although employees require access to a certain amount of the company’s data in order for their job, not many people have access to everything. The people who shouldn’t have access to specific information such as employees can assist businesses in preventing accidental or deliberate leaks.
The same applies to data gathered by a company’s IoT sensors. Managers of shifts, for instance, might be interested in knowing the performance of their team and how they can enhance their performance. They may also want to assess how effective and secure the equipment that the employees are using for their daily shifts. However, the managers do not need to look at every detail from the plant or the data which show how efficiency and productivity are advancing across the organisation.
A thought-out IoT system lets users choose who has access to the data they want to see according to their role. These roles typically give you various levels of access for instance:
Then, you can read the information and write reports.
The people who deal with data can alter the dashboard or lists, the notifications and thresholds for sensors which cause alarms. They also have the ability to read data and create reports.
The other roles are granted identical rights with a network administrator. The person in charge can oversee Wi-Fi settings, users and sensors which are part of the network.
In order to establish hierarchy access could also be given if there are sub accounts that are set up for various departments and divisions, subsidiaries or divisions of the same business. In this scenario those with access to more than one account are able to access the sub accounts and just at the levels they are granted. You can change or eliminate access rights of users at any time. The user is the one in charge of this.
These aren’t the only factors that contribute to making the IoT sensor system secure. Cloud maintenance of servers and security updates, salting and hashing passwords of users that are stored on cloud servers, deactivating and blacklisting gateways no longer in use, as well as deactivating gateways not being used anymore are crucial to ensure that wireless sensor networks are secure.
Anyone who wants to reap the efficiency, productivity and security benefits from the IIoT sensors, and the security that comes with complete cybersecurity, should adhere to these guidelines.
