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How RAD and Fortinet Secure Industrial IoT (IIoT) Deployments
Nov 12, 2018
Last week, Fortinet announced the expansion of its technology ecosystem, Fortinet Security Fabric, to include RAD, which is now a Fortinet Fabric-Ready Partner. RAD’s ruggedized edge computing-enabled IIoT gateways are a natural addition to the Fortinet ecosystem, extending the Fortinet Security Fabric to thousands of remote OT locations.
In recent years, industrial IoT has seen exponential growth with typical deployments of thousands of IIoT gateways in every project. As to be expected, edge computing has been on the rise as well, thanks to the numerous benefits it offers. In fact, edge computing:
- reduces the number of required networking and IIoT devices
- ensures higher security as the function that needs to be secured can be virtualized inside the securely connected IIoT gateway itself
- reduces network resources consumption and latency as data processing is performed locally
- allows the use of more anomaly detection functions (both cyber and network related)
The growing need for security
This digitalization of OT networks and, as a byproduct, the convergence of the physical and the cyber domains have brought the issue of cyber security to the fore.
The need to protect critical network infrastructures in light of enhanced interconnectivity is becoming more and more urgent leading to higher OpEx and CapEx pressures on IIoT deployments. Companies are now looking for innovative and cost-effective solutions that will combine efficient connectivity with maximum security.
RAD is dedicated to providing an overall edge computing-oriented solution that offers clear benefits for IIoT deployments. Most importantly, it enables customization of IIoT gateways to specific IIoT applications and reduces the number of devices at the edge – and, thus, the associated costs – while allowing rapid, independent hosting and delivering of non-network features and higher cyber security
The added value of RAD-Fortinet joint solution
The recently established cooperation between RAD and Fortinet – a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions – is meant to enable IIoT operators to benefit from more advanced edge computing services while at the same time keep their system highly secure.
For example, power utilities use thousands and tens of thousands of ruggedized IIoT gateways for distribution automation and smart meter applications. The RAD-Fortinet joint solution enables all these gateways to be highly secure. To put it another way, RAD extends Fortinet Security Fabric to the Utility’s field area network (FAN).
To learn more about RAD edge computing technology, go here.
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