New inventions and technologies have always driven the development of mankind. But the progress sometimes comes at a price – Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, could tell us a thing or two about it. Nowadays a lot of attention is given to the Internet of Things, both in terms of chances and threats that the technology may pose. Extreme Defender for IoT, our tiny, but powerful guardian, makes sure that we can advance without sacrificing our security!
The constant development of Internet of Things means that more and more devices are being connected via networks. It helps streamline the operations, sure, but at the same time opens up new possibilities for hackers. And this brings us to great dangers faced by the healthcare industry, where manipulating infusion pumps and other medical devices by unauthorized parties suddenly doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility.
The danger of exposing patients to cyber-threats was first highlighted in a CBS News report which proved that electronic medication dispensers may fall victim to hackers. The consequences of such vulnerability can be easily imagined – unauthorized users gaining access to medical devices, able to change their configuration, posing a risk to human health or life.
And the problem does not limit itself to the medical equipment only, as wireless hospital networks are now commonly used for internal communications, sending test results, storing electronic medical records and monitoring patients. Wi-Fi networks allow medical facilities to save on a lot of resources that would otherwise have been spent on a traditional wired infrastructure.
In the barrage of mobile devices and personal data
Not all network administrators are aware of the issues that come with connecting BYOD devices to hospitals’ networks. Not always are they equipped with proper security measures, even though both patients and staff use their private devices on a regular basis.
Security awareness and adequate actions on the operational level are indispensable for protecting sensitive patient information and complying with the applicable laws and regulations. In that respect, the duty of network administrator is to safeguard people, places and resources against constant cyber-crime attacks.
Seeing the medical devices having a key influence on the quality of healthcare services, and therefore, the wellbeing of patients, Extreme Networks support network administrators in their difficult task.
Protect devices on the edge of a network
Extreme Defender for IoT provides a robust protection of end devices which usually have limited or insufficient internal security capabilities. The Extreme Networks Defender solutions package consists of following elements:
- ExtremeCloud Appliance – allows you to use defender devices in the network, available both as a physical appliance and a virtual machine (VM) for customers that have their own private cloud services.
- Defender Application – provides security management plus traffic and application visibility of connected end devices via inventory lists. It also enables the centralized creation of policies and security profiles that define network and security settings for groups of IoT devices.
- Defender Access Hardware – monitors network traffic, applies security profiles and enables visibility of the applications.
Our solutions allow for an easy integration and effective monitoring of the IoT devices. Thanks to the simple interface, Extreme Defender for IoT can be leveraged even by non-technical staff with only rudimental network security knowledge! On top of that, the Defender for IoT package enables administrators to safely isolate network devices within secure zones and maintain control over who is getting access to the internet.
It is also worth mentioning that this solution works both with Fabric Connect and over 3rd party networks where it can isolate groups of devices in IPsec tunnels. Centralized inventory for end devices, ease of use and unique scalability are the features that certainly make Extreme Defender for IoT stand out from the crowd!
Are you in need of a guardian that will take care of your network’s security? Extreme Defender for IoT is what you’re looking for!
This article has been prepared in cooperation with our Partner, Veracomp – one of the largest IT distributors in CEE region. Since its creation in 1991, the company has been implementing a pure distribution model.
Veracomp offers products from leading vendors in many different specializations, including networks, security, telecommunication and storage. As a value-added distributor (VAD), the company offer a wide range of services, including advanced logistics, business, technical and marketing support.
Veracomp operates in 17 countries in central and eastern Europe: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Belarus.
Take a look at our Partner’s offer! For more information, please contact Pawel Jachimczyk, Product Manager Extreme Networks at Veracomp: pawel.jachimczyk@veracomp.pl.