Challenges and solutions to reduce network complexity
The industrial business sector is evolving, for this reason, organizations need to upgrade their network infrastructure and connectivity between industrial assets, local, central applications, and systems. As they adapt, challenges arise from multiple domains, such as traffic visibility, network security, and performance.
Asset Visibility
Its initial difficulty is directly related to the visibility of the traffic, which has an impact on the network topology. Most industrial companies find it difficult to see their resources and assets, which prevents them from having full control over their network and infrastructure, equipment, and materials.
Complete visibility of network traffic is possible thanks to the implementation of network TAPs in the infrastructure. Network TAPs are independent hardware devices that make an exact copy of all traffic that flows between two endpoints on a network. They are generally preferred because they are reliable compared to SPAN ports and they offer flexibility in how they pass traffic to the monitor port.
Network Performance & Availability
Additional problems emerge as more devices are connected. The network will require greater capacity, and OT network vulnerabilities could cause expensive damages, mostly as a result of OT Systems becoming unavailable.
To prepare your network for future growth, Network Critical’s hybrid TAPs & Packet Brokers are an effective and affordable solution. Providing highly scalable bandwidth availability that adapts to different speeds, it prevents network congestion and offers optional fiber interfaces to allow long-distance data transmission from field sites back to the control room.
The 'Broker' in Network Packet Broker refers to its ability to combine, integrate, separate, manipulate and process inputs from many sources, delivering the data to a wide variety of appliance and tool destinations. Also, they guarantee fail-safe operation avoiding the risk of network disruption as a result of power interruption or failure of an appliance. Delivering the right data to the right tool will optimize security and performance.
Security & Emerging Threats
Regarding security issues, traditional OT organizations were not connected, and as organizations connect more devices and equipment, the surface attack increases, and more cyber attacks are targeted at OT networks. Sadly, most industrial networks' security flaws and gaps are only found after a security breach has taken place. Moreover, there are unquestionably inherent network dangers and vulnerabilities that will arise from the integration of these current systems with information technology data networks.
With the rapid growth of Industrial Networks, different levels of security must be considered. From protecting sensitive/confidential information with packet modification, or real-time traffic monitoring, to preventing unauthorized access to the network with zero-trust technologies. All these solutions are available with Network Critical’s products, safeguarding your business from emerging threats with different and complementary levels of security.
It is clear that the evolution of industrial networks is inevitable, and there are many things to be developed and improved, and therefore organizations need to analyze their situation and define a clear network strategy to achieve the optimal stage. Network Critical expert team is ready to help you find the perfect solution for your network’s needs. For more information, contacts us at www.networkcritical.com/contact-us
