Garland Technology ensures complete packet visibility by delivering a full platform of network TAP (test access point), inline bypass and packet broker products.
Garland Technology is committed to educating the benefits of having a strong foundation of network visibility and access. By providing this insight we protect the security of data across your network and beyond.
Garland Technology's resource library offers free use of white papers, eBooks, use cases, infographics, data sheets, video demos and more.
The TAP into Technology blog provides the latest news and insights on network access and visibility, including: network security, network monitoring and appliance connectivity and guest blogs from Industry experts and technology partners
Our extensive technology partnership ecosystem solves critical problems when it comes to network security, monitoring, application analysis, forensics and packet inspection.
Garland Technology is dedicated to high standards in quality and reliability, while delivering the greatest economical solutions for enterprise, service providers, and government agencies worldwide.
Whether you are ready to make a network TAP your foundation of visibility or just have questions, please contact us. Ask us about the Garland Difference!
Today’s critical infrastructure industries include the manufacturing and distribution of goods such as aerospace and defense, electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, and food and beverages.
Manufacturing networks in operational technology (OT) environments utilize Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and other various systems like supervisory control and data acquisitions (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).
For decades, OT systems relied on processes, proprietary protocols, and software that were manually managed and monitored.
Being siloed from the outside world, these manufacturing systems were relatively insignificant targets for hackers, as they would have to physically breach the facility to access the terminals.
IT networks have been steadily growing in the sophistication of computer systems, hardware, software, and networks related to the processing and distribution of data.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and there is no question why digital transformation has been incorporated into these previously non-connected systems.
This IT-OT convergence gives manufacturing organizations a complete view of both industrial systems and process management solutions, as well as the various industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices and the manufacturing equipment itself.
All with the goal of better managing accurate information on users, machines, switches, sensors, and devices in real time.
But, the Industrial IoT digital transformation leaves the OT infrastructure side vulnerable, as they tend to be poorly protected against cyber attacks.
OT teams face complex challenges when it comes to architecting connectivity throughout these large and sometimes aging infrastructures that weren’t initially designed with network security in mind.
These challenges include:
Fortunately, these challenges have a solution.
Optimized security and performance strategies start with 100% visibility into network traffic.
And visibility starts with the packet.
The industry's best practice for packet visibility is network TAPs (test access points).
Network TAPs are purpose-built hardware devices that create an exact full duplex copy of the traffic flow continuously, 24/7, without compromising network integrity.
Instead of connecting two network segments, such as routers and switches, directly to each other, the network TAP is placed between them to gain complete access to traffic streams.
TAPs transmit both the send and receive data streams simultaneously on separate dedicated channels, ensuring all data arrives at the monitoring or security device in real-time. Also,
Most importantly, data diode TAPs are purpose-built network hardware device that allows raw data to travel only in one direction, used as a traffic enforcer, guaranteeing information security or protection of critical digital systems, such as industrial control systems, from inbound cyber attacks.
Data Diodes are specifically designed not to send traffic back onto the network.
Interested in learning more about how Network TAPs can help provide full visibility into an OT network of a manufacturing facility? Read our White Paper titled “ICS Visibility Guide: MANUFACTURING.”
Todd has over two decades of experience in Technical Sales and Solutions Consulting. He began his career in the USAF as a Telecommunications Specialist. Since then his focus has been helping customers understand and deploy Network Test, Monitoring, and Visibility Solutions.