LifeSafety Power® leads in proactive measures
It’s a growing epidemic: threats to the network and the devices and data residing on it. As the Internet of Things (loT) continues to take hold, this trend will become even more pronounced. LifeSafety Power is taking a proactive approach to today’s issues and challenges, providing testing and certifications that validate the inherent safeguards in its premiere NetLink™ Network Communications Module.
NetLink received its Cyber Security Assessment Certificate recently after the module was tested to evaluate for cybersecurity-related features and design parameters by Rodney Thayer of Smithee, Spelvin, Agnew & Plinge, Inc. The company conducts independent cybersecurity assessments for infrastructure deployments, Internet-based solutions and network-attached devices. NetLink is the network connected control unit for LifeSafety Power’s FlexPower® product line.
Smithee, Spelvin, Agnew & Plinge certified NetLink as having been tested and evaluated for certain cybersecurity features in the product and said the module “provides a cybersecurity posture appropriate for enterprise use.” NetLink demonstrated proven system interfaces, instrumentation and infrastructure safeguards to prevent surreptitious attacks to networked power solutions. (Specific cybersecurity features, testing parameters and other information can be found here.)
Working together for a greater good
There’s a bigger picture in all this, and that’s that the industry needs to provide users with safeguards for communicating devices, especially when it comes to the network.
“Not only is it critical for products residing on the network to have been tested and certified for cybersecurity features, it’s important for the vendor community to lead this posture and adopt measures in manufactured devices as appropriate,” says Larry Ye, President, LifeSafety Power.
PSA Security Network, Westminster, Colo., has led the way in providing awareness, education, and resources to the physical security market through its Cybersecurity Program. The program is intended to provide a wealth of tools and resources that integrators and vendors can use to help prevent, detect and mitigate cybersecurity breaches related to physical security products deployed on customer networks. PSA has also partnered with a number of premier cybersecurity service providers that offer an array of services including risk management, information security assessments, and independent validation testing services such as those conducted on NetLink.
“Cybersecurity is quite possibly the most critical topic facing the physical security industry today,” says Craig Patterson, Director of Vendor Management. “What we have learned through our program over the last couple of years is that cybersecurity really is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone in the supply chain from sourcing, product development and installation plays a critical role in ensuring a cyber savvy solution at the end of the day,” he adds.
LifeSafety Power is leading the way, ensuring network communications modules such as NetLink provide cybersecurity and hardening capabilities.