Human error and sabotage are among the biggest risks to IT networks
The threat to IT security is higher than ever before. Cybercrime is a real and growing threat. According to data from Statista, the FBI and the IMF, the global cost of criminal attacks on the Internet is expected to rise to $23.84 trillion by 2027, up from $8.44 trillion in 2022. This means that cyberattacks have become one of the biggest threats to business and society. Attacks on the hardware and software of IT infrastructure can not only bring a company’s business to a standstill, they can also paralyze hospitals, cut off power supplies or bring traffic to a standstill.
The attacks are becoming more and more sophisticated – hackers are using AI, machine learning and other technologies to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks on networks and data. Ready-to-use “hacking tools” can now be found on the Internet, which more and more people with less and less know-how can use to carry out successful cyber attacks. But it is not only “external” cyber criminals who endanger IT networks – human error and sabotage are third in the list of the top 10 threats of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
Possible threat scenarios
If the components and mechanical elements in the IT network are not protected by adequate methods of authentication and authorization, so-called “insider perpetrators” have an easy time. They could intentionally or inadvertently misconfigure security-relevant components such as a firewall or network components. The uncoordinated installation of updates or patches by unauthorized persons can also lead to problems in the network. Another risk is that unauthorized hardware such as staff USB devices are connected. Finally, intentional, unauthorized actions can lead to damage to devices and installations or the placement of listening devices.
In all of these scenarios, it is not necessarily criminal intent that is behind them. Negligence or other human error and misconduct can damage a network just as much as espionage and sabotage.
Small and micro-businesses are just as at risk as corporations
With digitalization permeating all sectors and industries, IT networks are now the lifeblood of almost every organization – from companies and craft businesses to offices and practices to retail and educational institutions. If one of the threat scenarios becomes reality, it can quickly destroy (IT) resources, result in financial losses and even paralyze the entire (business) operation. It is not just human error or sabotage that threatens the systems; environmental factors such as heat, dust or moisture can also lead to network failure.
Small businesses in particular do not usually have the comprehensive resources to protect their IT networks that companies with their own IT departments have. Servers and switches are not always protected from access by unauthorized persons in separate server rooms, but are more or less accessible to everyone in the office, in an adjoining room or in the basement. They are often looked after by service providers who are not on site and therefore cannot react ad hoc.
Monitor access and the environment cost-effectively
A relatively simple and quick way to implement measures to protect data and processes efficiently is to use monitoring systems in conjunction with housing technology in which the electronic and mechanical components are housed.
The housing protects the technology from physical influences – in normal office or room conditions, protection class IP20 is usually sufficient. It offers protection against the ingress of solid foreign bodies with a diameter of more than 12.5 millimeters. Protection against water is usually not necessary in the dry environment of an office.
The monitoring system also allows only authorized persons to open the housing and monitors who opens the door and when. Additional sensors can also record relevant environmental parameters such as temperature or humidity. If predefined thresholds are exceeded, the monitoring system triggers an alarm, which allows faults to be detected early and potential system failures to be prevented.
Access only for authorized persons
Such protection systems are usually OEM products that are complex to configure. Reichelt, on the other hand, offers a complete solution that is available online – and therefore quickly. It consists of a 19-inch industrial and wall housing made of sheet steel with 21 HE from apraNET and an EMIOne cabinet monitoring system. The combination offers a simple, efficient and cost-effective solution for increasing IT security both for access control and for monitoring cabinet and housing systems. Two versions are available in the Reichelt online shop: a “local version” with access control that works without a network connection, and an “online version” with a connection to a web server.
In both versions, access is achieved via an electronic door handle that can be controlled via an integrated RFID reader (Mifare) and the corresponding chip card or via a touch display integrated into the cabinet door with a PIN code. A locking contact is integrated in the door handle of the industrial and wall housings. This ensures that the cabinet reports back that it is locked and that no unauthorized access has taken place. The access system can also be used to assign different authorizations to each user: standard users only have access to the status page and, in the online version, to the web server’s system log. It is not possible to make changes to the settings or users. Users registered as system administrators, on the other hand, have full access to all configuration options for Apranet EMIone as well as to the functions of the web browser.
Retail example
This means that the “local version” of the wall/floor housing already offers a cost-effective, secure solution, for example in office environments or small data centers, for accommodating routers, switches and patch panels. A typical application scenario is retail. Under the slogan “Smart Retail”, increasingly complex network solutions are being installed: they network video surveillance and anti-theft systems, inform customers via digital signage, connect self-service terminals and cash registers and enable inventory to be recorded directly on the shelf using a barcode scanner or tablet.
Modern network technologies are therefore the backbone of every modern retail business. Comprehensive network security is therefore important. The industrial and wall housing with integrated monitoring system can effectively protect the network components from physical manipulation by unauthorized persons. It regulates, monitors and documents all access. This ensures that the complex network is not sabotaged; thanks to the housing technology, a well-meaning employee cannot “just” make incorrect settings on the network.
Remote reading via web server
Due to the complexity of modern smart retail solutions, many retailers rely on service providers. But other institutions and organizations – especially smaller companies – do not have their own IT experts, but commission external specialists to look after their network. Reichelt offers a suitable solution here with the “online version” of the 19-inch housing. All parameters can be monitored and read remotely via a web server integrated in Apranet EMIone. In addition, access to the network cabinet can also be granted via this – for example, if a maintenance technician needs to access the network components on site but is not registered in the system.
Example: Real estate industry
The web server integrated into the monitoring system is also an interesting application for the real estate industry: This means that the network technology in the basements of apartment buildings can be effectively protected from a central location. Vandalism or sabotage could, for example, switch off all telecommunications or disrupt smart building applications. The monitoring unit can be used to ensure that only authorized technicians have access to the network components. In addition, a signal can be sent to a central location as soon as someone opens the cabinet, indicating in which property this is happening and whether it is a regular or unplanned access.
Monitor environmental parameters too
Especially if there are not always people on site where the network is installed, monitoring the environmental parameters is also recommended. In particular, excessive temperatures and high humidity can damage the network components or lead to temporary failures. It is recommended that the optimal temperature in server rooms should be between 18 and 27 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity is recommended to be between 40 and 50 percent.
The monitoring system of the online version is therefore equipped with a climate sensor for measuring temperature and humidity. This allows temperature or humidity to be monitored and recorded over a longer period of time. The information can be accessed directly on site via the touch display integrated in the cabinet door or via the web server. If predefined threshold values are exceeded or not reached, an alarm function is triggered. This means that faults can be immediately detected and reported and potential system failures prevented.
Play it safe with a digital bouncer
It is not just large corporations and organizations that are threatened by cyberattacks – IT security is an issue for every networked facility. “It is not just deliberate acts of sabotage that pose a risk to networks, environmental factors such as heat, dust or moisture can also lead to the failure of IT systems,” emphasizes Tobias Thelemann, product manager for mechanical components + electrical installation at reichelt elektronik. Sometimes all it takes is a dissatisfied employee, a not so technically gifted “expert” who wants to change something on the network, an extremely hot summer or a burst pipe to put an IT system at risk. This can cause considerable damage: customers can no longer shop, computers in the office fail or the Internet and landline are suddenly no longer available. Therefore, in addition to protection via firewall and anti-virus software, the physical protection of the IT infrastructure should always be taken into account. Housing technology in combination with monitoring systems ensure that risks are identified early and the network manager can react in good time and prevent worse from happening. “Apranet EMIone is a fully configured wall/floor housing with an integrated monitoring system that can be used to monitor access and the room environment cost-effectively,” concludes Tobias Thelemann. “This means that more security can be quickly created for any IT infrastructure and the risk of major, expensive damage can be significantly reduced.”
Images: Adobe Stock
