WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF DEPLOYING AN IIOT NETWORK ?
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“ IIOT , IN ALL ITS FORMS , OFFERS THE MEANS TO BRING TOGETHER DATA FROM NEW AND DISPARATE TECHNOLOGIES ”
— Dale Geach , Siemens
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF DEPLOYING AN IIOT NETWORK ?
Although the benefits are now becoming apparent , adopting an IIoT network within an energy company is not without risks or challenges .
Perhap the most fundamental risk is the ongoing and constantly evolving threat of cyberattacks , an unfortunate downside to the convenience of a decentralised system . “ When considering security , particularly the application of any digital technology within the operational environment , companies need to take a holistic approach ,” enthuses Geach . “ Increasing resilience is not simply a technological matter ; it takes focus and attention on people and processes .” This could take the form of awareness training , recovery planning , risk identification , or detection and incident handling , to name just a few crucial areas when shoring-up a company ’ s digital portfolio . “ Data confidentiality is also paramount when sensitivity is required and the secure transmission of data between locations must also be guaranteed .”
Assuming that cybersecurity is taken fully into consideration , what then ? Walsh claims that the second-largest consideration for establishing any IIoT network is a hurdle permeating technology everywhere : change . “ Change is difficult when implementing any sort of new technology . While there may be obstacles in implementing the technology itself , the real difficulty comes from thousands of employees adopting the new practices ,” he explains . “ In order to successfully implement any new technology , including IIoT networks , companies must first have the approval and support of workers and executives ,” he adds . Not only this , but partners and suppliers must also play their part by making software intuitive to use , easy to deploy and fastidiously maintained .
OCTOBER 2020