Turning the Internet of Things into the “Internet of Secure Things”

Internet of Things (IoT) deployments are on the rise and driving more network traffic than ever before. Smart City, Industrial and Enterprise IoT applications are changing how cities and companies operate and the value they can create for their citizens, customers and for themselves.  There is a great deal of focus on data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence and the role they will play in the future of IoT — rightfully so. The combination of IoT and artificial intelligence will enable levels of insight and predictive action that only a few years ago would have been thought of as science fiction.

However, this capability will only be able to be built on a “trusted” and secure network. Gartner states that managing identities and access is critical to the success of the IoT and forecasts that 8.4 billion connected things will be in use worldwide in 2017, up 31 percent from 2016, reaching 20.4 billion by 2020.

The Internet of Secure Things

Cradlepoint’s NetCloud Perimeter (NCP) enables IT teams to reduce the time, cost and resources needed to manage and secure the network – turning the Internet of Things into the “Internet of Secure Things.”  

Unlike traditional VPN solutions that require costly concentrators and many hours of configuration and management, NCP enables enterprises to set up private cloud networks that shield enterprises from device-oriented threats. These cloud networks, which take only minutes to create, provide a private, virtual perimeter over any Internet connection — isolating and protecting M2M, IoT and mobile devices.

NCP represents a clean-slate approach to device networking that combines a Software-defined Perimeter  with private IP overlays and cloud orchestration to deliver optimal security, availability and control.  Instead of connecting networks or locations, NCP uses a host-based approach that securely connects people and devices directly to the applications and resources they need — regardless of location.

These invitation-only Virtual Cloud Networks (VCNs) allow the administrator to have complete control over the network environment. With Active Directory integration, network administrators can extend LAN access to remote users and IP-addressable devices without detailed command lines or complex configurations.

Our customers are seeing immediate benefits with our Software-Defined Perimeter solution. These include:

Simplified Network Creation: With DSC Dredge, the global leader in the dredge manufacturing industry, has a much easier way to enable network access than building out a traditional Intranet solution with IPSec on each router. Also, all controllers share the same internal LAN IP address scheme, rendering static IPs and APNs unnecessary. This is a major benefit in locations such as Nigeria, where static IPs are difficult to obtain.

Increased Efficiency: Ewing New Jersey Police Department was struggling with its traditional in-vehicle WAN solution. Setting up a VPN was a headache because it had to be managed at both ends — and the carrier had to be involved to get the network set up appropriately. Sometimes that could take months to schedule. However, with Cradlepoint’s NCP solution, Ewing PD provided a virtual overlay network with end-to-end encryption and a private address space that completely isolates it from the public Internet. The combination of Cradlepoint’s fast and reliable LTE and secure and resilient network enables the police department to stay connected from anywhere — making it easier for officers to stay always connected to the public safety network.

Cost Savings: The Aerotech division of JBT deploys Cradlepoint’s SD-Perimeter solution at their data center and on the Cradlepoint COR Series routers, allowing the controllers to communicate with the server and provide secure network access to real-time gate system data. All controllers share the same internal LAN IP address scheme for faster/easier deployments. Previously, each LAN required unique LAN subnets. JBT has been able to reap significant cost savings including fewer capital expenditures for fiber lines and switching equipment, fewer man-hours devoted to installation of network infrastructure, and reduced time to install and deploy by six to 12 months.

At Cradlepoint, we are focused on building the next-generation edge network.  We refer to it as the Elastic Edge^SM – giving our customers the ability and agility to utilize a network that can more rapidly expand, contract and respond to the ever-changing needs of business.  Elastic Edge networks will be software-defined, cloud-orchestrated and, yes, increasingly wireless.  As we move into the era of 5G, wireless wide-area networks will provide a significant leap forward in flexibility and agility that all businesses will need to stay competitive.

If you happen to be going to IoT Evolution in Orlando, I will be sharing more about our Elastic Edge solutions during my keynote presentation. 

Also, to learn more about the State of IoT 2018, download the Cradlepoint Business Intelligence Report.