The Vulnerabilities.

Manufacturing involves multiple tiers of suppliers providing components that come together to create the end product. Each tier is an exercise in unique processes to the manufacturer and their third-party suppliers’ raw materials, production, inventory, and distribution. This complicated convergence of players, processes, and data creates a wicked infrastructure security problem.

The Good.

The advent of 5G is an exciting development in connectivity for most businesses. From the farmer who can now remotely monitor field conditions to the global manufacturing leader dependent upon a digital supply chain, to mom-and-pop shops offering real-time-customer service, 5G is changing the way business gets done. And both owners and consumers are enjoying the benefits!

For most, 5G still lacks the true “100 times faster” connection that service providers touted it would bring in 2019. But still, its improvements to speed and lower latency over 4G LTE for business connectivity have already established it as a game changer.

Although 5G is one of the fastest growing technologies in history with adoption 4x as fast as LTE, it will be years before 5G networks blanket the globe. However, explosive adoption is already well underway in the automotive, manufacturing, utilities, and healthcare industries, all of which have been catalysts for a rush on new IoT devices for business efficiencies, enhanced customer service, the movement of large amounts of data, and more.

As 5G network availability grows, the potential for 5G IoT business devices has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, the security risks have grown with it

FREDERICK, MD - Fornetix, Inc., an industry pioneer and leader in enterprise encryption management technology, has partnered with OutSecure, a preeminent Cybersecurity & Privacy Strategy creation company, to provide a comprehensive and complete approach to cybersecurity to smart cities.

When considering the intersection of Roots of Trust and the accessibility of services provided by cloud architecture, reliable options quickly become scarce. That is why we at Fornetix are excited to see nCipher launch their "nShield as a Service" (nSaaS) offering. With the combination of Internet of Things (IoT) based technologies and the embracing of "as a Service" cloud capabilities, there is a growing need for HSM services that can be provisioned and integrated with cloud principles while not belonging to a specific cloud vendor. At Fornetix, we built our technology to play to the middle, enabling public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions. We are excited to see nCipher’s nSaaS solution parallel our own. We believe the joint approach will help customers embrace effective use of cryptography no matter how they use technology, whether it be cloud first/cloud native, hybrid cloud, or private cloud.

There are two popular types of malicious attacks: A data breach and a ransomware attack. You may have heard these two terms used interchangeably, however they're not quite the same.  A data breach occurs when a hacker gains access to information and steals the unencrypted data from the system. This is often used to steal financial, medical, and other personal information. A ransomware attack occurs when hackers gain access to a system and hold the data hostage in exchange for a ransom, regardless of whether the data is encrypted or unencrypted. A hacker may keep the data inside the enterprise's system but encrypt it so the right people can’t gain access to it. They may also remove the data from the system and return it in exchange for ransom. Both types of attacks have been around for a while, but recently, ransomware attacks have become more prevalent.

When looking at technology adoption, I am frequently reminded of Pandora’s Box from Greek mythology. This metaphor rings true when considering the Internet of Things (IoT). Whereas Pandora released a host of evils into the world, with IoT we have released new concerns associated with multiple technologies, multiple standards, scale, and security (or as I like to say, resiliency). When considering the information that flows from the edge, through the cloud, and ultimately to the data center, the lowest common denominator for protecting information is trust created by cryptography (as noted by nCipher’s Juan Asenjo in the other half of this blog series). In this blog, we are going to start by acknowledging the pitfalls of our particular Pandora and then discuss how we find hope in the solution provided by nCipher and Fornetix.

Olympic high diving requires concentration and self-control. Before divers jump off a 10-meter platform, they pause at the edge and concentrate on their goal: elegantly perform the acrobatic maneuver and gracefully pierce the water causing minimum surface disturbance. This same disciplined approach is required when adopting new and revolutionary technologies, such as those now available through the Internet of Things (IoT). Decision makers must assess the risks and benefits, consider potential difficulties, and then take the jump.

Would you consider giving up personal data in exchange for a third-party app to show you what your ninety-year-old self will look like? The rise of social media brought lots of joy to consumers’ lives, allowing users to get glimpses of their future selves, to find out their horoscopes, and to communicate with others across the globe.

The demand for connected devices is growing exponentially, but the technology to secure these devices is lagging creating cyber security vulnerabilities at a massive scale.

The Current State of Cyber Security

Every day we hear about breaches, hacks, and cyber-attacks affecting banks, hospitals, transportation, and even entire cities. In some instances, the impact can mean life or death. Our most trusted institutions – like the US election process – are not the pillars of security they once were. And yet the demand for “connected everything” continues to grow in all sectors and across the globe.

Our Chief Technology Officer at Fornetix, Chuck White, sat down with Professor Andre Hinton from the New Cyber Frontier podcast to explore the ways powerful encryption can solve the big problems of cybersecurity. Take a listen using the audio player below!