The Top 10 Emerging Cybersecurity Threats For 2030 (INFOGRAPHIC)

 

M2M vs IoT....What's The Difference? (INFOGRAPHIC)

 

The 5 Stages Of IIoT Initiatives

 

IIoT solutions provide powerful tools for efficiency, agility, and sustainability, enabling real-time data monitoring, predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, and improved collaboration. The current landscape shows increased investments in IIoT by both large and small organizations, with notable early adopters successfully “crossing the chasm” and gaining more traction with the mainstream market. Microsoft, partnering with IoT Analytics, just released this week their 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 – 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐨𝐓 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 report. In this report, statistics and best practices are presented for implementing Industrial IoT (IIoT) initiatives based on three approaches: custom-build, buy-and-integrate, and buy. Each approach is evaluated for its pros and cons. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞: • 𝟔𝟓% of organizations are now executing an IoT strategy. • IIoT projects today have a 𝟏𝟒% higher success rate than five years ago. • Projects have a median break-even time of 𝟐𝟎 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬, compared to 𝟐𝟒 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 five years ago. • Approximately two in five IIoT projects today are custom-BUILD solutions. • The share of IIoT projects for which companies BUY an off-the-shelf solution increased from 𝟗% to 𝟑𝟎% in the past two years. • Implementation challenges and budget restrictions have dropped by 𝟑𝟎% and 𝟏𝟑%, respectively, as key concerns compared to five years ago. 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-digital-operations-signals-iiot.html ********************************************* • Follow Jeff Winter of Hitachi Solutions America on LinkedIn to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends. For FREE helping sourcing and designing a custom IoT ecosystem solution for your organization simply ask at the link below. Covers network connectivity, sensor technology, data analytics, and network security. http://ds3-bandwidth.com/iot-connectivity

Deep Dive Into Defense-In-Depth As A Cybersecurity Strategy

 

Defense-in-depth is a popular security strategy that places the applications and data (or groups of applications and data) that inhabit an architecture into designated security layers. This holistic approach aims to layer defenses across all possible areas of vulnerability, offering not just one but multiple levels of protection. Let's break it down!

Data: Starting with the most critical, we aim to protect the data itself through encryption, access controls, and data loss prevention techniques.

Application: Next, we secure the applications handling data. This includes secure coding practices, regular vulnerability scanning, and patch management.

Host: This layer focuses on securing individual user devices with antivirus software, personal firewalls, and strict access controls.

Internal Network: Here, we employ network segmentation and internal firewalls, limiting lateral movement in the event of a breach.

Perimeter: The outer shell of our digital fortress where we implement network-level defenses such as external firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and secure gateways.

Physical: Often overlooked but no less critical - securing physical access to devices and servers is a must.

Policies, Procedures & Awareness: The human factor - often the weakest link! Here we use education, training, clear policies, and procedures to strengthen our human firewall.

These layers interweave to create a multi-faceted, robust defense strategy. But remember, no castle was ever impregnable! Constant vigilance, regular updates, and evolution in line with emerging threats are vital to maintaining security.

How To Use Design Thinking As Part Of Your Digital Transformation Strategy

 

Design thinking is a human-centered, iterative problem-solving approach that aims to create innovative solutions by focusing on empathy, experimentation, and collaboration. The main components of design thinking can be broken down into the following stages: 𝟏) 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐳𝐞: Understand the needs, emotions, motivations, and context of the end-users or customers. By putting yourself in their shoes, you can gain insights into their experiences and identify the real problems they face. 𝟐) 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞: Clearly articulate the problem statement. This involves synthesizing the information and insights gathered during the empathize stage to define the users' needs and challenges. A well-defined problem statement helps guide the ideation process and ensures that the focus remains on addressing the users' pain points. 𝟑) 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞: Generate a wide range of possible solutions to the defined problem. 𝟒) 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞: Create low-fidelity prototypes of the most promising solutions. These can be simple sketches, physical models, or digital mockups that help visualize and test the concepts. 𝟓) 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭: Test the prototypes with real users to gather feedback and validate the proposed solutions. This feedback is crucial to understanding how well the solution addresses the user's needs and to identify any areas for improvement. Based on the test results, the team may need to iterate through the earlier stages to refine the solution or explore new ideas. 𝟔) 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (not a formal stage, but often included): Solutions or concepts developed during the design thinking process are brought to life. It can be seen as part of, or following, the Test stage, depending on the specific circumstances. During this phase, the solution is rolled out, and its impact in the real world is observed. According to a 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲, Since 2015, design thinking has grown by 46% in IT departments and 92% in Operations & Manufacturing. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: • 60% – design thinking has improved the working culture • 67% – more efficient innovation process • 58% – users integrated more frequently • 30% – helped to save costs • 33% – helped increase sales 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬: https://www.innovationtraining.org/design-thinking-2022-study-from-hpi/

********************************************* • Follow Jeff Winter on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyrwinter/ to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends