Are You Prepared to Protect Your Industrial Network Infrastructure?

Are You Prepared to Protect Your Industrial Network Infrastructure?

Industrial Network Infrastructure

Today’s network infrastructures continue to grow in size, complexity, and functionality. The ever-increasing number of interconnected devices, cameras, laptops, sensors and other assets that traverse a network has placed more pressure on those responsible for ensuring the security and authenticity of the communications traffic moving in, out, and across the network. Moreover, network users are placing greater demands on these infrastructures to support more applications and services, with expectations that the network will accommodate and extend mobility to employees and contractors anytime, anywhere. As network size and scope expands, network operators and security officers are tasked with the difficult job of assuring their enterprise communications remain protected and that their information systems are not compromised by a variety of attack vehicles.

For industrial sectors such as V2V, utilities, oil and gas, chemical plants, railways, and ports, the consequences of a network security breach can be severe, including everything from significant business and service disruption to financial systems collapses, and even catastrophic situations that impact human safety and well-being. Needless to say, network security is a top priority for mission-critical networks—if not the highest priority.

Understanding Security Prioritization

Prior to the seemingly relentless assaults on communications and information systems, it was not uncommon for enterprises to build networks first and plan for security after the fact. This approach creates inherent weaknesses in the network infrastructure and makes it much harder to protect against new and evolving security threats from hackers as they continue to become more advanced. At Rajant, the core of our knowledge and depth of our security expertise is founded in the recognition that before you build a network infrastructure, you must assess and plan for its security. That involves vulnerability assessment, design, and implementation of a comprehensive Information Assurance plan.

Rajant has been building secure, private wireless networks for military and industrial customers just shy of 20 years. Our technology is active today in numerous defense programs across the globe, ensuring critical and top-secret communications are reaching their destination without compromise and ultimately safeguarding troops and contractors. For these obvious reasons, stringent network security has always been a core priority in the defense space, but more and more commercial and industrial operators are now realizing that they too need a more robust approach to information assurance, as they connect more diverse assets across their IoT networks. We leverage our extensive experience supporting the high security requirements of military customers to enable industrial customers to architect a network with a security

Rajant Can Meeting the Unique Security Requirements of IoT Networks

Rajant understands that IoT enterprise networks have unique requirements that must be accounted for in the design and integration of their security. At the top of the list is the requirement to improve or otherwise enhance network efficiency while providing the highest level of security possible. These networks require:

  • Advanced encryption algorithms
  • Improved processing power
  • Reduced power consumption
  • Small form factor chips

Our leadership in this market is directly tied to the significant investment we have made in the provision of multi-level, robust security across the entire wireless platform. Rajant BreadCrumb® wireless nodes with InstaMesh® software offer several firmware-embedded security features, including data and MAC address encryption as well as per-hop, per-packet authentication. Securing your mesh network traffic is accomplished by specifying the security features that fit your organization’s information security strategy. All security features can be easily configured and managed using our BC|Commander management and monitoring software which is included with BreadCrumb nodes. In addition, BreadCrumb security features can integrate with the network security systems residing on your non-Rajant network infrastructure. All our BreadCrumb nodes are configured with 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) using BC|Commander and employ a number of other powerful cryptographic options.

Deep Information Assurance Expertise

With a dedicated team of highly experienced cryptographic engineers and information assurance experts, Rajant’s team can help commercial and IoT enterprises successfully develop:

  • Fail-safe designs
  • System level security architectures
  • Cryptomodule designs
  • Security certification processes and accreditation readiness programs
  • Support for embedded, field programmable gate array (FPGA) and network-based secure software communications
  • Data at rest encryption solutions
  • Trust anchor and certificate authentication
  • Key management solutions (EKMS, KMI, OTAR)

Our security teams can establish trust anchors and ensure data at rest which is becoming increasingly important to withstand industry and legal scrutiny. This expertise, paired with the robust security features built-in to our BreadCrumb nodes, enables us to provide reliable radio security and encryption without impacting the efficiency and performance of the network.

Information Technology: More Benefits, More Risk—Be Prepared with Rajant

Information systems have helped industrial enterprises implement more efficient, agile, and profitable business practices. However, it has also left their information systems vulnerable to persistent, well-organized, and constantly-evolving security attacks. Consequently, industrial organizations have had to strengthen security measures to protect against and respond to potential threats. While there is no defense method or system that can guarantee absolute security, implementing best-in-class security solutions is critical to detect and defeat attacks and safeguard people, data, and operations.

Rajant’s ongoing security objective is to continue our persistent campaign against malicious intruders to stop them from penetrating your wireless mesh network and getting access to your sensitive information, all while continuing to deliver the level of high network performance your operations demand. 🖉