The importance of security in a building network cannot be overstated. One minor risk can quickly become a big one, and any vulnerability is an opportunity to the wrong person. Your unsecured HVAC system is an open door to your IT system or other network devices; a hacker could launch denial of service attacks, or shut down all security surveillance equipment.
That’s why when new devices are up and running, the first thing the building operator will want to do is make sure the network is secure. This is a huge task, though, since each switch has to be configured individually; whether you’re using graphical user interface (GUI) or command-line interface (CLI), you’re in for a long process.
So, either the network is secure but using it is impossible; or the entire network is vulnerable because communicating with the network admin takes too long. Oftentimes, facility managers don’t go through the securing process at all. If there’s any chance of devices being moved or swapped, they’ll leave unused ports enabled so they can quickly “plug ‘n’ play.” This might be efficient, but it can become a massive security risk. Someone could connect their laptop to an edge device (such as a camera), access the network, and mess with the system. That might entail denial of service attacks, turning off equipment, or opening all the doors in the access control system.
It puts building operators in a seemingly impossible position. Either you use your valuable time spending hours securing the building network, or you cut corners and allow security risks.
This is exactly why we have introduced OneClick Secure: a groundbreaking new feature for Optigo Connect, our comprehensive suite of smart building network hardware and software. OneClick Secure merges easy-to-manage switches with secure systems. With the click of a single button, you can close all of the unused ports in your network, and lock the used ports to the applicable MAC address. The User Interface in OneView then shows you exactly what changes were applied to the system, and the status of each port. When you need to make network additions and updates, simply unlock the network, or unlock the appropriate ports and make the changes you need. When you’re done, re-secure your whole network with the click of a button.
OneClick Secure means you don’t have to manually lock or disable ports, one-by-one — a massive time-saver when you have hundreds or thousands of ports to manage. There is no choosing between safety and simplicity: you need both in order to have a fully secure network.
