04 April 2019

Sean Herbert is UK country manager at Baramundi

In recent years, the number of endpoints to be monitored in corporate IT networks has increased massively.

One of the reasons is that more businesses are embracing Industry 4.0, where industrial plants, factories and even construction sites are now equipped with internet connected devices and machines.

This high level of connectivity, referred to as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), means that both IT and OT (operational technology) managers must provide continuous and reliable monitoring of not only employee laptops and devices, but all the connected machines and automated systems that are present within the manufacturing process.

As these non-traditional endpoints serve as additional doorways for cybercriminals to access, it is imperative that administrators can immediately identify weak points and distribute necessary patches to protect the network against security threats.

If administrators monitor endpoints manually, mistakes may occur unnoticed, and existing vulnerabilities can be missed. This is especially true within industrial environments, where OT managers are more reluctant to use software patches as changes to machinery can potentially involve re-certification and production delays. Accordingly, both IT and OT managers need an endpoint management solution that is hassle-free and easy to use.

To properly monitor and secure the increased number of endpoints in corporate IT or production environments, businesses should strive for a centralised approach.

From a single viewpoint, administrators would be able to manage all connected devices, automate routine tasks as well as deploy and update applications and patches. Administrators need to be able to monitor the entire network setup and structure and automatically catalogue all network devices, configurations, installed software, and the drivers for endpoint subsystems.

A centralised viewpoint could enable both the technical and organisational level of a business to get a transparent and traceable overview of all endpoints within the network, which is necessary to ensure efficient corporate IT. With Industry 4.0 growing exponentially, IT teams need to be able to scan the IT environment for any irregularities or vulnerabilities, including incorrectly configured user-owned hardware and unpatched or unlicensed applications, as a breach could have catastrophic consequences for national infrastructure.

An automated, centralised approach to network monitoring has the potential for IT and OT managers to save valuable time and secure management of ever evolving endpoints to ensure all future industries, even beyond 4.0, are secure.

By Sean Herbert is UK country manager at Baramundi