According to Microsoft, the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to provide breakthrough value to a myriad of business sectors including manufacturing, energy, agriculture, real estate and healthcare. While the benefits of IoT are well entrenched and significant, they do not come without challenges. One of the biggest challenges is adequately securing these IoT devices.
Presently Microsoft provides multi-layer IoT secure monitoring within Azure, currently used by thousands of customers, which has made configuring IoT devices possible, but not necessarily simple.
Two of the main challenges customers are currently facing include:
1. Giving customers visibility into what IoT devices are already connected to their networks
2. Managing the security on existing IoT devices (brownfield devices) that have been historically difficult due to many different custom protocols.
In a bid to help solve the above challenges, Microsoft has acquired CyberX. CyberX will work as a complement to Azure IoT security capabilities. By adding this component, customers will be able to discover their existing IoT assets, and manage and improve security posture of those devices. Customers can also see a digital map of thousands of devices within a building and gather information about each asset profile and vulnerabilities. This is a fundamental step to securely prepare for smart manufacturing, smart grid and other digitisation across supply chain and production facilities.
CyberX will be an incredible addition to Microsoft in the joint commitment to IoT security and innovation as they continue to digitally transform businesses.
