🤖Fusion's SD-WAN & PWAN | The Perfect Solution for OT Implementations & IoT Deployments⚙️

Operational Technology (OT) environments face unique challenges when integrating modern networking solutions. Traditional networks, built around IT needs, often lack the ability to manage the growing complexity of OT systems and the sheer scale of IoT devices. Fusion’s SD-WAN with its PWAN (Private Wide Area Network) implementation emerges as the ideal solution, offering the perfect balance of security, traffic segmentation, and management for these specialized environments.

The Importance of Traffic Segmentation in OT Environments

OT networks typically control critical infrastructure, from manufacturing systems to energy grids and transportation networks. The high stakes in these environments demand more than basic connectivity. Safety, reliability, and real-time response are essential. However, the rise of cyberattacks, system malfunctions, and unforeseen operational issues presents a growing risk.

Fusion’s SD-WAN, paired with its PWAN solution, brings traffic segmentation into play—an essential feature for OT deployments. This segmentation isolates critical operational traffic from less-sensitive data, creating secure lanes for each type of traffic. By creating virtual lanes or segments for each function, organizations can ensure that:

• Sensitive OT traffic remains insulated from IT or non-essential traffic, reducing the risk of disruptions.

• Control commands and monitoring systems in critical infrastructure are isolated from external threats.

• Latency-sensitive applications operate without interference, optimizing real-time operations.

For example, in an energy grid, command and control traffic needs to be separated from monitoring or logging traffic. Fusion’s SD-WAN creates these separate virtual networks, ensuring that operational commands are never delayed by non-essential data, preventing costly interruptions.

Creating Separate Management & Access Planes for IoT Implementations

As IoT becomes more prevalent across OT environments, the need to isolate and control these devices grows. IoT devices, while providing valuable data and control, can also become a security risk if not properly managed. PWAN using Fusion’s SD-WAN’s not only segments the network but also introduces the ability to create distinct management and access planes.

By separating management and access planes:

• Management Plane: Administrators can securely manage and update IoT devices, without giving access to the data or traffic they generate. This ensures updates and security patches are applied efficiently while keeping devices isolated from operational systems.

• Access Plane: Operators and devices can interact with IoT sensors and systems, but only through the segmented traffic lanes designed for them. For example, sensor data can flow to a data center or the cloud without exposing critical OT systems.

This segmentation of management and access planes ensures that even if one IoT device is compromised, it won't give an attacker access to the entire operational network, maintaining the security and integrity of the OT systems.

Fusion’s PWAN | An Agile, Scalable Solution for OT and IoT

The PWAN solution within Fusion’s SD-WAN is highly customizable, allowing OT environments to tailor network design according to their specific needs. Whether you are working with a few IoT devices or overseeing vast industrial networks, Fusion’s PWAN adapts to the scale and complexity required.

Some key features that make Fusion’s PWAN ideal for OT and IoT include:

• Scalability: Start small with basic segmentation and expand as the number of devices or operations grows.

• Redundancy and Resilience: Fusion’s SD-WAN with PWAN provides seamless failover capabilities, ensuring continuous operation even if one network path fails.

• Security: Encryption and advanced security protocols safeguard traffic, while segmentation ensures that OT, IT, and IoT environments remain secure and distinct from one another.

Wrap

Fusion’s SD-WAN and PWAN deliver a comprehensive networking solution for both OT and IoT deployments, designed to address the specific challenges of these environments. With the ability to segment traffic, create separate management and access planes, and ensure seamless failover, Fusion provides an unparalleled level of control, security, and reliability. For any organization looking to modernize its OT operations while safely integrating IoT devices, Fusion SD-WAN is the ultimate tool for success.

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Ronald Bartels, the driving force behind connecting Internet-inhabiting entities at Fusion Broadband, explores the potential of SD-WAN as a catalyst for simplifying wide area networking, transforming complex deployments into accessible commodities for all.

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