"With the ongoing critical cyber threat landscape, enterprises need an advanced IT security solution for machinery and equipment in addition to connectivity," said Endian CEO Raphael Vallazza. "With Endian 4i Edge software, customers become independent of hardware supplies because existing hardware can be upgraded and reused. This conserves resources, increases efficiency and speeds up the implementation of digitization projects."

Longer use of existing hardware

Thanks to their multiple use options, the Endian 4i Edge software as well as the virtual solution are suitable for OEMs and large-scale projects. For example, machine builders can secure their equipment at the customer’s site by using the hardware already installed there without having to make time-consuming and costly on-site replacements.

In combination with the Switchboard, the central management tool of the ENDIAN SECURE DIGITAL PLATFORM, companies receive a highly scalable complete solution.

Remote maintenance and network segmentation

The gateway enables secure remote maintenance by protecting each connection through the establishment of a Virtual Private Network (VPN).  Since the data exchange is two-way, it is also possible to monitor machine conditions in order to establish predictive maintenance.

Segmentation is essential for protecting large and complex networks. For this, several network segments with a similar degree of protection are defined and separated from each other via the IoT Security Gateway. This principle can be compared to the bulkheads on a ship: just as they prevent the entire ship from filling up and sinking in the event of water flooding, granular network segmentation prevents the uncontrolled spread of ransomware, for example.

Maximum security and flexibility

Threat management can be used to detect unusual activity on the network and prevent attacks on the IT and OT infrastructures. Connected assets are protected by numerous other IT security features, including firewall, intrusion detection/prevention system (IDS/IPS), Layer 7 filtering capabilities, and deep packet inspection (DPI) that detects over 300 protocols and 2000 applications.

All three Endian IoT security gateways, virtual, software as well as hardware device, are certifiable to the IEC 62443 standard for Industrial Security. Users who want to use the gateway and go through the certification process can thus be sure that the solutions meet the requirements of the standard.

The Endian 4i Edge software supports the use of Docker containers. Individual enterprise applications can thus be deployed at the edge of the network, allowing users to benefit from the advantages of edge computing.

EndianOS 4i operating system included

Installation of the gateway requires a computer with at least two Network Interface Cards (NICs), a x86_64 architecture with two cores, as well as 4 GB of RAM and a 32 GB hard drive.

When the gateway is installed, it comes with the security-focused Endian OS 4i operating system that powers the entire ENDIAN SECURE DIGITAL PLATFORM.