CORK, Eire, June 23, 2022 — Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the worldwide chief for good, wholesome, and sustainable buildings, as we speak acquired zero belief cybersecurity supplier – Tempered Networks, based mostly in Seattle, Washington. Tempered Networks has created ‘Airwall’ expertise, a complicated self-defense system for buildings that permits safe community entry throughout various teams of endpoint units, edge gateways, cloud platforms and repair technicians. It represents a step-change in operational expertise constructed on safe transmission pipelines to make sure buildings information exchanges and repair actions can solely happen between folks and units which can be constantly authenticated.
The acquisition provides Johnson Controls the aptitude to supply zero belief safety inside the material of its OpenBlue safe communications stack, advancing its imaginative and prescient of enabling totally autonomous buildings which can be inherently resilient to cyberattack.
How Airwall Works
Tempered Networks Airwall expertise makes use of the Host Identification Protocol and a cloud-based coverage orchestration platform to create new overlay networks constructed on encrypted and authenticated communication. The coverage supervisor (a.okay.a. the conductor) enforces configured digital insurance policies that management connections inside the cloaked overlay system. The default place for the coverage supervisor is ‘zero belief’, i.e., solely permitting connections between constantly authenticated and licensed entities. As soon as a speaking system authenticates itself appropriately, an encrypted tunnel is created by way of which information flows. The benefits of this cybersecurity method are as follows:
1. The creation of an always-on and software-defined safety perimeter defending device-to-device, device-to-cloud and device-to-user interactions.
2. Airwall achieves this by utilizing Host Identification Protocol to create a cloaked and micro-segmented community which overlays a constructing’s current community infrastructure, making the answer additionally extremely cost-effective.
3. A brand new stage of authentication for related constructing techniques is created, permitting for higher system automation of capabilities corresponding to heating and cooling, lighting, safety and airflows.
“In relation to buildings, we should create simply implementable cybersecurity defenses as we’re typically coping with crucial infrastructure, together with belongings corresponding to information facilities and hospitals,” stated Vijay Sankaran, vp and chief expertise officer, Johnson Controls. “Tempered Networks Airwall method is purpose-built for our sector because it’s designed round rules of zero belief, securing system communications as information strikes between units and the cloud – so enabling distant constructing optimization in essentially the most trusted approach doable.”
Know-how Integration
Tempered Networks Airwall expertise is being built-in into Johnson Controls OpenBlue platform which is more and more acknowledged as a number one good constructing software program platform with superior AI-enabled constructing administration capabilities[1]. OpenBlue supplies a versatile computing method for converging constructing applied sciences and making these applied sciences extra insightful, highly effective, and optimized by way of edge AI and thru full machine studying within the cloud. The last word purpose is to make all buildings smarter, more healthy and extra sustainable.
Monetary phrases of the transaction weren’t disclosed.
To be taught extra about Johnson Controls’ method to cybersecurity, please go to www.johnsoncontrols.com/cybersolutions.
See a proof video for Tempered Networks Airwall expertise right here.
