IoT Device Security from Eseye and Armis

Peter Doggart

VP of Business Development, Armis

LinkedIn

We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Peter Doggart, Vice President of Business Development & Global Channels at Armis. Following the announcement of Eseye and Armis’ new strategic partnership, we asked Peter to tell us more about how this joint solution can connect and protect any Thing, anywhere.

What are the current challenges with connectivity for IoT?

The devices we rely on for all kinds of ordinary and critical functions can no longer be constrained by only wired-LAN or Wireless LAN networks.

That’s why device manufacturers are now looking to next-generation cellular networks to maintain connectivity, especially when devices are constantly moving or in highly distributed or remote locations.

There are two roadblocks to this strategy, though: persistent connectivity and flexible, scalable security.

Tell us in your own words, what are the global device deployment challenges?

Persistent connectivity is a particular problem outside of North America, where there are hundreds of carriers operating across geographies with many shared borders. As such, it becomes practically impossible for devices to roam across networks permanently. Most carriers prevent devices from roaming after a few weeks, dramatically impacting the ability of cellular-based IoT and other devices to realize their full potential.

As for security, most traditional products available today won’t work at all. Endpoint security products need agents on these devices, which in nearly all cases can’t host them. That leaves cellular-connected devices like those controlling the temperature of food and medicine storage, transmitting and receiving maintenance information on aeroplanes, or controlling critical infrastructures like power and water transmission at grave risk to cyber threats.

How can Armis and Eseye’s solution keep devices connected, and importantly protected?

Today, Armis and global connectivity specialist Eseye announced a strategic partnership and joint solution that enables organizations to deploy connected devices anywhere in the world with enterprise-class security and consistent, reliable cellular (4G/LTE/5G) connectivity. Together, this joint solution ensures organizations can deploy and access virtually any device globally with confidence.

Eseye’s unique Connectivity Management Platform enables devices to switch intelligently to any one of over 700 GSMA-compliant carriers to maximize uptime with near 100% global coverage.

While, the Armis Agentless Device Security Platform provides device discovery, monitoring, and behavioral risk assessments, and automatically responds to anomalies that put devices at risk.

Together, the Armis and Eseye technologies create an industry-first synergy, delivering a secure and connected ecosystem for mobile devices across industries. And as the supply chain continues to expand, this partnership lays the ultimate foundation for automation and digital transformation.

Can you dive a little deeper and tell us how this integration works?

Absolutely. Through this frictionless integration, Armis integrates with Eseye in the cloud for:

• Comprehensive Asset Inventory: Armis detects and identifies all devices connecting to Eseye’s global network, for example, Internet-enabled medical devices, vending machines, remote devices in energy and utility industries, and telematics and monitoring sensors.
• Risk Management: Armis calculates a risk score for every device on Eseye-managed cellular networks, and continues to monitor device behavior to ensure risk stays below a customer’s tolerance threshold.
• Automatic Detection and Response: At an unacceptable level of risk, or if behavior indicates an imminent or active threat, Armis can sanction or quarantine a suspicious device or disconnect a malicious device from an Eseye-managed cellular network to prevent a threat from moving laterally.

Peter Doggart

VP of Business Development, Armis

LinkedIn

Peter is focused on strategic business partnerships and initiatives to help grow and amplify the Armis business and service our customers. Prior to Armis, Peter was VP of Business Development at Symantec, and prior to Symantec, he was VP of Business Development at Blue Coat (acquired by Symantec).