Tackling the Dual IT Infrastructure Priorities of Visibility and Cybersecurity with EcoStruxure IT’s Secure NMC System (2024)

This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services

When it comes to our customer’s distributed hybrid IT infrastructure and what they prioritize, we know monitoring and visibility are critical, and cybersecurity could not be more crucial.

How do we know?

We have been listening to our customer’s concerns. In the past 18 months, we have focused on the trends of DCIM 3.0 (Data Center Infrastructure Management) and worked hard to respond with solutions and features to make infrastructure more resilient, secure, and sustainable.

We are helping customers meet the challenges of sprawling IT whether on-prem, in colocation facilities, or on the edge. And we are continuing that success with the Secure Network Management Card System (SNS) for EcoStruxure IT, which was tailor made for tackling the dual priorities of visibility and cybersecurity for your entire IT infrastructure.

Key enabler for visibility

When we talk about remote monitoring, we’re really talking about visibility. And that is critical because without it, you risk unexpected issues and downtime.

Our Network Management Card (NMC) is a key enabler for visibility, and it is embedded in most of our UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and PDU (Power Distribution) devices. When it comes to embedded software that connects power and cooling devices to the network, the securityis essential. The NMC provides a sophisticated management application and an array of protocols for remote connectivity. Connect with your Building Management System, EcoStruxure IT tools, and more.

By installing the NMC everywhere, it enables monitoring and management and visibility into your infrastructure from wherever you are, anytime, with preventative management and security.

A growing cybersecurity attack surface

A recent survey by Allianz revealed that even more than an energy crisis or natural catastrophes, what organizations fear the most are cyber incidents. Who can blame them? In 2023, the average cost of a cyber breach was $4.45 million, and the cost of cybercrime reached $8 trillion in 2023. This number is expected to rise to $10.5 trillion by 2025.

While cybersecurity fears aren’t new, what is new is a rise in attacks on neglected firmware. Yes, the cyberattack surface has widened to include firmware at a time when security experts say too many organizations are struggling to stay current with their firmware. Organizations don’t always know or understand when new updates are available or when to apply patches, and, as a result, they fall behind and become vulnerable to cyberattack.

IEC certification by TUVRheinland

That is where our NMC offer is unique because it has been independently certified by the world’s largest testing services company TUVRheinland. We believe in transparency. Our IEC 62443-4-2 certification is posted on our web site and is easily downloadable. I often hear vendors talk about their cybersecurity certification, but I never actually see their certification.

IEC certification means Schneider Electric employs secure development practices with secure coding, security design reviews, and vulnerability management. We conduct rigorous testing with vulnerability scanning. IEC certification is not a one-time process. We must continue to go through a re-certification process as new updates are released, which requires a significant investment of time, effort, and R&D spend that we are willing to make.

Reap the benefits of the Secure NMC System

We know and understand the needs of our customers. Our management options are focused on making operations easier for them and the Secure NMC System does exactly that by minimizing exposure to attack, reducing complexity and effort, and assisting with compliance so it becomes a consistent process.

If you already have IT Expert or Data Center Expert, your Secure NMC subscription is included along with the advanced vendor neutral management capabilities these tools provide. Independent cybersecurity compliance and proactive firmware management is so fundamentally important to us that starting in April 2024, a one-year Secure NMC subscription will be included with all newUPS and PDU devices from Schneider Electric.

We are at the start of a very exciting journey as we will continue to invest in building out our Secure NMC System capabilities throughout 2024. Stay tuned!