Today, we announced a new innovation in cybersecurity. Xage Enforcement Point (XEP) delivers universal access control for industrial operations, extending protection to millions of previously exposed devices and control systems.
Historically, industrial operators restricted access by isolating their control devices and systems. Today, operators are modernizing by connecting previously isolated assets, despite the well-documented security threats. With the 23 billion IoT devices installed in 2018 – a number forecast to grow to more than 75 billion by 2025 – the risk of a catastrophic cybersecurity failure is constantly increasing. In the face of IoT growth and increased machine autonomy, we need to expand and rethink cybersecurity to comprehensively protect our networks of intelligent (and legacy) devices.
To do so, we have created a way to protect every device and every interaction between devices, providing the most modern and powerful access control and in-field identity management, while eliminating the prospect of disrupting (or worse yet, ripping out) vulnerable existing infrastructure.
The XEP acts as a filter controlling access into and out of individual devices and controllers, providing enforcement of the access policies and authentication requirements held in Xage’s tamperproof security fabric. Since the XEP is not dependent on the security features, if any, of the devices and controllers themselves, it delivers a unified and comprehensive security solution for industrial operations, enabling organizations to protect all their systems––whether password-protected or not, modern or legacy. XEP works across all equipment to improve efficiency, enable any-to-any machine-to-machine cooperation and automation, secure production data from the source machine to the cloud, deliver single-sign-on convenience, and match technician access rights with job functions to reduce on-site errors.
Administrators have full visibility with edge-to-cloud monitoring and an auditable record of all access attempts, successful or not. Attempts to bypass the XEP generates an alert in the system, so organizations know immediately if an attacker has attempted to compromise an industrial asset or data.
XEP also improves efficiency through off-site access and individual safety, enabling employees to access oil pads, windmills, mines, and other harsh environments remotely. This limits travel, saving significant time and money, and improves employee health and safety––before an attempted hack has even been prevented.
XEP is non-intrusive and applicable to virtually all device types such as machines, controllers, meters, and sensors regardless of the vendor, generation, type, make, model, or means of connectivity.
Working with the Xage Security Fabric, XEP delivers a holistic security solution that evolves today’s patchwork of unprotected industrial systems into a new world of managed, controlled access and any-to-any interaction. Removing operational complexity and errors, this innovation enables remote access and advanced automation across all systems, devices, and industries, and for the first time, extends network security down to every individual device for universal, resilient protection.
