7 Reasons OEMs Are Adopting Security by Design Early in the Product Development Life Cycle
In today’s world, every CEO, CIO, CSO, or CFO is liable for compliance and failing “Pen Testing” (penetration testing) scores, not to mention rising insurance premiums. The pressure of thwarting the increasing security breaches and hacks demand a robust solution that lowers costs and increases network security without navigating complex solutions from multiple vendors. So what is the value proposition of adding security to an OEM’s device early in the product life cycle? “If you were just offering a communications device before, you could be looking at increased network security through the same lens as everyone else,” said Michael Tate, chief operating officer and senior vice president of global sales and marketing for FreeWave. He adds, “The outcomes transform commodity-priced hardware into a differentiated solution.” “Today you are selling hardware and tomorrow you are selling a valuable solution with ARR, all while becoming more relevant to your customer and solving real security problems over just connectivity. If you have devices that give you security and also include communications, you’re going to win faster.” “If you have devices that give you security and also include communications, you’re going to win faster.” – Michael Tate, chief operating officer and senior vice president of global sales and marketing for FreeWave For OEMs, proactive threat detection starts with zero trust. Zero trust ensures every interaction is verified and that OEM products are trustworthy. OEMs and Preparing for the Future The importance of cybersecurity extends to our readiness as a nation. Thousands of OEMs contribute to the U.S. defense industrial supply chain across 16 critical infrastructure sectors. According to the U.S. Department of Defense Cybersecurity Strategy, the first of its kind in the country’s history, ensuring our safety means having “a cybersecurity framework built upon zero trust principles.” As a network is continuously monitored, a zero trust security approach gives systems administrators time to focus on highest-risk items and stay ahead of threats. The Department of Defense has committed to fully deploy zero trust by the end of 2027. The demands for OEMs to address security are rapidly evolving. Secure by Design is a principle that prioritizes security early in design rather than leaving it as an afterthought. Industrial sectors like oil and gas, energy, municipal water, and wastewater departments use thousands of devices across a network. These assets have multiple contracts and multiple vendors. A disgruntled employee or third-party vendor has the potential of seeing everything and doing serious damage with traditional security. Yet, a minute of downtime can cost millions. Take North America’s largest steel producer, $30 billion Nucor, as an example. Its data breach in May 2025 due to “unauthorized third-party access” triggered shutdowns at multiple facilities. As IT/OT integration grows, the Nucor data breach underscores how cyberattacks are growing in sophistication right along with the attack surface, which includes IIoT devices, communications, gateways, sensors, robotics, industrial routers, PLCs, and wireless access points. Security, it turns out, is everyone’s concern, especially forward-thinking OEMs of industrial-grade networking hardware and edge devices like cellular routers, gateways, and modems. Secure by Design products give OEMs differentiation in a crowded marketplace. FreeWave Offers OEMs Competitive Advantage FreeWave has committed more than 30 years to developing industrial wireless solutions. Today, its end-to-end IIoT solutions transform connectivity, security, edge intelligence, and data insights for remote industrial enterprises around the world. OEMs with small, niche markets to mass-produced industrial-grade products successfully embed FreeWave solutions in agricultural products, automation technology and edge devices. The FreeWave Zentry™ solution is a zero-trust based security solution. It cloaks protected networks, making them “invisible” utilizing a simple concept: never trust, always verify. This means the system doesn’t automatically trust anyone or anything trying to connect to it – even if they’re coming from inside the network. Instead, every access request attempting to access resources is verified whether from a user, device, or application, no matter where they are. Here are seven reasons OEMs are addressing security early in the product development life cycle and how the Zentry solution impacts outcomes for both OEMs and their customers. Differentiation in a Commodity MarketThe Zentry solution allows OEMs to stand out by embedding advanced network security directly into their products, moving them beyond commodity hardware and giving them a unique selling proposition. This makes their offerings more relevant and valuable to customers, helping them pull away from competitors who only provide standard connectivity features. Simplified and Consolidated SecurityBy integrating the Zentry solution, OEMs offer consolidated network security as part of their product, eliminating the need for customers to manage separate VPNs, static IPs, port forwarding, and multiple vendors. This reduces complexity, points of failure, and administrative overhead for OEMs and their end customers. Increased Network SecurityThe Zentry solution provides a zero-trust overlay, making devices and networks “invisible” to unauthorized users. It encrypts communications, limits access strictly to what’s needed, and reduces the attack surface – key for critical infrastructure and remote assets. This is especially valuable as cyber threats and ransomware attacks increase across industries. Improved ROI and Lower Total Cost of OwnershipWith the Zentry solution, OEMs and their customers reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary hardware, software, and ongoing maintenance. The solution is aggressively priced, easy to deploy (setup in minutes), and intuitive to manage, making it accessible even for organizations with limited IT resources. Flexibility and Broad CompatibilityThe Zentry solution can be installed on any device with a Linux environment, including cellular gateways, inexpensive Linux boxes, laptops, tablets, and servers, making it broadly compatible with existing OEM hardware and easy to integrate into diverse product lines. Multi-Tenant Management and ScalabilityThe Zentry console is multi-tenant, allowing OEMs to manage security for their own products and for their customers, supporting SaaS and managed service models. This enables new revenue streams and value-added services. Future-Proofing and Market RelevanceAs security becomes a top priority for buyers, OEMs embedding the Zentry solution are better positioned for the future, offering solutions that address both current and emerging threats, and aligning with the industry’s shift toward integrated, secure, and
A Network is an Ecosystem: Rethinking Security for OEMs
In a recent conversation with Anthony Besett of GetWireless, a metaphor emerged: a network is not just a collection of devices, but an ecosystem. The line is as catchy as it is directional: original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), a foundational contributor to global supply chains, have a growing responsibility for securing today’s interconnected environments early in design. How did we get here? Well, we live in a connected world. According to IoT Analytics, which tracks and analyzes IoT connectivity, the number of connected IoT devices will grow 14% by end of 2025, reaching 39 billion in 2030 and more than 50 billion by 2035. That’s six devices for every single person on earth. Another way to frame this: 73.2% of the world’s population accesses the internet. A parade of innovative technologies have arrived: artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, hyperscalers (developers scaling data center networks), quantum computing, and the data center surge. Deloitte ranks “cyber and/or physical security concerns” as number three on its list of data center infrastructure challenges, tapping OEMs on the shoulder to take note of technology’s evolving impact. Besett serves as Vice President OEM Embedded Solutions for GetWireless, a leading value-added distributor of cellular solutions like intelligent gateways, servers, asset trackers, modems, and other solutions for IoT applications. Besett predicts that OEMs focusing only on designing, making, and selling products may be shortsighted. IoT devices are increasing and networks are becoming more complex. The stakes for robust, holistic security have never been higher – and OEMs recognizing that their products are responsible for the entire network ecosystem will be the ones to differentiate their product. Intentional security for OEMs is a bold leap forward for customers. Beyond Silos: A Network as a Secure Ecosystem Besett emphasized that traditional approaches to security often focus on isolated components, protecting a gateway here or running penetration testing (pen testing) there. He says, “We have to be paying attention to security across the entire infrastructure, not just one piece of it. Historically, you’ve seen there’s attention to one piece.” Many of GetWireless’s suppliers do pen testing, for example, but Besett sees that changing in the future with security-minded solutions that are guaranteed to protect networks and all the devices that go beyond that point. Here’s why: in an ecosystem, every element is interdependent. A vulnerability in one device – like a sensor, workstation, or camera – threatens the health of the entire network. Just as the rapid spread of Dutch Elm Disease endangers a forest, a single weak link in a network can compromise an entire digital environment. As an example, consider the Mars Hydro breach. The China-based maker of LED grow lights had 2.7 billion records exposed, including passwords, IP addresses, and device IDs, all because the attacker was in Wi-Fi range. OEM manufacturers have an opportunity to help mitigate the risks of IoT data breaches. Besett shares, “I was in a conversation not too long ago where a customer’s whole network was hacked because somebody plugged into a gateway that wasn’t controlled. And so now you’ve got a hole. There are lawsuits. It’s going to be a mess.” He says fragmented security leaves the entire network ecosystem exposed. The takeaway for cybersecurity: silo thinking is risky when it comes to individual OEM network products. A piecemeal approach is no longer sufficient. Zero Trust Security and Zentry Besett points out the value of zero-trust architectures, such as the FreeWave Zentry™ solution. Referencing back to his customer example, he explains, “There were vulnerabilities there that if something like Zentry was on that, that wouldn’t have happened because they (the attacker) would have actually had to request access.” “The devices on the edge, sensors, the workstations, the PCs, the tabs, the LPRs, all those different things, they get security as well. And it’s really cool because Zentry controls who has access, when they have access, and exactly what they have access to. What’s so unique about Zentry and their kind of ‘look’ on the infrastructure is . . . giving the control to an OEM to be able to secure everything for their customers, not just one piece.” Security must extend to every part of the network ecosystem, he says. It’s not enough to lock the front door; every window, back door, and fence line needs protection. The FreeWave Zentry solution secures not just one component but the entire deployment by making the attack surface invisible – there are no public IP addresses, open ports, or static tunnels to scan or exploit. Ephemeral sessions mean access appears only when needed and disappears when complete, leaving no standing exposure. Deterministic control removes noise, helping small security teams focus on real threats without wasting time on no false positives. Besett explains, “Zentry controls who has access, when they have access, and exactly what they have access to.” This Identity-driven access ties every connection to a verified user, device, and policy for precise control. Devices, from license plate readers to medical wearables, become ubiquitous and integral to securing critical operations. At GetWireless, Besett says the company looks at the entire connected world, including body wearing devices, POS machines, monitoring cameras, and weather stations. “We’re engaged at all those different levels in the community,” he says. Security, according to Besett, is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a fundamental requirement for any device that connects to a network. He notes, “Do you want to be the hole in the network that creates the problem for a customer or brings down a network?” The risks are real, from lawsuits to national infrastructure threats. Zero trust gives OEMs an opportunity to proactively address vulnerabilities at every layer, not just at the gateway or a single device, but across the entire ecosystem. What OEMs Need to Know About Zero Trust Security is poised to become a differentiator in the marketplace. With many devices becoming commoditized, Besett suggests that embedding zero trust could set OEM network products apart. Besett asks a good question: “Why would you choose a device that doesn’t meet
Ditch the Wires, Keep the Power: FreeWave ZU1100 – The Smart Wireline Replacement Solution
IIoT often lives in harsh environments where trenching equipment, excavators, and backhoes can be challenging and expensive to operate. Costs escalate based on trench length and depth, soil type, post-trenching land restoration, permitting costs, and regulatory requirements. Then there are maintenance considerations once copper wire is in the ground. If wire breaks underground, how do you know where the problem is? In places like the American West or Canada, where wild fires exist, wires require flame-retardant, or self-extinguishing jackets. High-temperature environments, chemical exposure or flood zones also require extra maintenance for underground wire. Rising copper prices pose a rising theft risk too – a billion dollar industry annually according to Nasdaq – where criminals trade stolen copper for profit, putting critical infrastructure at risk. “Aging, trenched wired infrastructure is a high risk. You need to get in front of the problem because it’s not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when’ that wired infrastructure will fail,” said William H. Conley, III, director of technical and customer support at FreeWave. That risk is highest for legacy industries like oil and gas, utilities, and water wastewater treatment. As digitalization increases, reliably transmitting analog and digital input/output (I/O) and sensor data across long distances becomes even more critical. Traditionally, as an example, transmitting 4-20mA signals over long distances has required trenching miles of shielded twisted pair (STP) wire. In the past, trenching of wire signals has been a costly and maintenance-heavy process. Enter ZumEdge® ZU1100. FreeWave’s latest wire replacement solution is designed to make buried wire a thing of the past and industrial analog and digital I/O and sensor data flow. What Is ZU1100? Wire replacement solutions aren’t new. Many companies offer solutions that are deployed in a lot of networks, today. However, the ZU1100 IS different. It is a bi-directional I/O wireless solution that replaces labor-intensive wired connectivity for customers in industrial sectors. The best part is a hallmark of FreeWave’s design philosophy: install it and it just works. It’s pre-configured so you literally plug it in and it works. ZU1100 mirrors analog and digital signals from one point to another, eliminating the need for physical wiring. Whether you’re monitoring a remote water tank’s level or controlling a pump miles away, ZU1100 transmits real-time analog and digital I/O and sensor data, to include 4-20mA signals current loops over distances of up to 20 miles, or farther in some instances. The DIN-mountable device is sleek, measuring about the size of your favorite summer read. It supports two analog inputs/outputs and two digital inputs/outputs on each end, enabling two-way communication between field equipment and control systems. Being able to quickly analyze and respond to data variations is one of the paramount benefits from FreeWave solutions. What’s better is that FreeWave is no stranger to radio technology. We’re trusted. Since 1993, FreeWave has led the way with more than 800,000 units in use around the world sending telemetry data to users. As data has evolved, thousands of customer conversations led to innovating the an evolved solution that truly scales. Unlike previous one-way solutions, the ZU1100’s bi-directional design allows for peer-to-peer and, soon, peer-to-multi-peer relationships (with its ability to support up to 32 remote devices in future updates). Future features include support for additional protocols and system integration for streamlined workflows. “How industry collects information is identical across markets such as oil and gas, utilities, water/wastewater, and building automation,” said Conley. Add to the list industries like agriculture, smart cities, chemical processing, and manufacturing. When industry requires analog I/O signals, they prefer 4-20mA current loops. Why? Because the signal is almost immune to electrical noise and interference, delivering reliable signals. “It’s the same analog and digital I/O signals, the same protocols like Modbus and MQTT (that many industries use). What might differ is the regulatory requirements and the type of command and control,” said Conley. Even there, ZU1100 is prepared – for anything. Conley said that FreeWave designs solutions to the “absolute most challenging scenario.” ZU1100 is industrial grade: Class I, Division 2-certified (C1D2). It can operate in temperatures from -40°C to +75°C and is explosive proof – a must-have for oil and gas customers. Along with ease of use, security is another signature design element in FreeWave solutions. AES encryption is available on ZU1100, with future plans for enhanced network security via FreeWave Zentry™, a secure connectivity solution introduced by FreeWave earlier this year based on zero-trust principles. Future integration of AI and advanced protocols are also on ZU1100’s ideation board. ZU1100 Use Cases Field technicians, administrators, integrators, and partners in industrial sectors wrestling with wired sensor systems have a number of use cases that highlight ZU1100’s plug-and-play installation, bi-directional I/O, and rugged, reliable performance. Here are three high-impact use cases: Industrial Monitoring A remote water tank with sensors measures level, pressure, and pump current, all while feeding into a programmable logic controller (PLC). ZU1100 transmits signals wirelessly for remote monitoring and control. Automated Control Devices are connected in real-time so operators send commands such as turning on a pump or shutting down a system based on sensor readings – without the need to trench and maintain long runs of physical wiring. This use case is ideal for industries where assets are distributed over large, hard-to-wire areas. ZU1100’s bi-directional monitoring and remote actuation increases operational efficiency and reliability. Protocol Bridging and Legacy System Modernization ZU1100 helps organizations transition from legacy systems using protocols like Modbus to modern IoT protocols such as MQTT. (According to a 2022 survey by HiveMQ, 50% of respondents use MQTT as a standard protocol.) ZU1100 can bridge analog/digital, I/O and serial/Ethernet protocols so data flows between old and new equipment, allowing gradual modernization, and supporting both legacy and next-generation protocols. What’s Next? At FreeWave, our vision is to make receiving and sending data easy. It’s a world where we see IIoT being scalable, smart, and simple. ZU1100 is a next-generation, customer-driven solution that bridges the gap between legacy systems and future-ready industrial automation. The solution creates connected, intelligent, and
Are Static IPs a Liability in the Industrial Space? Or Are You As Protected as You Think?
Actor John Krasinski plays Jim Halpert in The Office. Jim’s one-liners pave his pursuit of a fulfilling sales career at Dunder Mifflin, a paper company. (Example: I am about to do something very bold in this job that I’ve never done before: try.) Spoiler alert: Krasinski becomes one of the company’s top salespeople. That’s what human beings do. We evolve. So does technology. Today, industrial internet of things (IIoT) data demands devices that are dynamic because, like Krasinski’s character, networks are continuously evolving. The goal? Make your network and devices resilient. In this blog, we’ll explore the number one problem for cellular network industrial users, what you should know about static and dynamic IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, how they impact network security, and a true story of how we hacked into a customer’s network – during a meeting with them. ——————————————————————————–—- What are Static and Dynamic IP Addresses? Why Should You Care? Let’s start with the basics. An IP address is a string of numbers identifying each device connected to a network. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns the unique device “name” allowing it to: Be recognized by the network (hey, I see you) Communicate with other devices (let’s talk) Historically, industrial devices use static IP addresses. From web servers to sensors to VPNs, these addresses are fixed. They never change. It’s kind of like living at the same house address all your life – when people know where you live, they can send you whatever mail they want, whenever they want. In contrast, dynamic IP addresses get assigned a unique address by the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. Every time a router reboots or the system changes or said device is not in use, the device’s IP address changes. In this case, imagine living in Paris one day and Milan the next. With no one knowing your address, you are free from receiving junk mail forever. In the Age of Connectivity – where devices, data, and business scenarios are constantly in flux – are static IPs a liability for industrial users? Why do Industrial Companies Use Static IP Addresses? In short: dependable network access. Businesses need consistent destinations for sending data and a stable address to connect to. Dynamic IP addresses, which shift over time, complicate this process. For a clearer picture, think of how tricky your search for information would be if Google’s website address kept changing. While consistency has been the reasoning behind static IP addresses, technology has evolved – and so has cyberattacks. The vulnerability of static IP addresses now outpaces their original usefulness. Unidirectional vs. Bidirectional Integration Most cellular devices are designed with unidirectional integration where information travels one way. For industrial users, this means data from the edge travels to the world. Many cellular devices are not factory-equipped with a bidirectional, or two-way, data path. A garage door sensor with unidirectional data, for instance, only gets you so far. If you put your bike away, but forgot to close the garage door, an alert notifies you. It’s now Sunday morning so you’re home and can close it as you get your morning coffee going. It doesn’t work, though, if you’re on a flight to Turks and Caicos (although an open garage door probably wouldn’t ruin your vaca). A better way would be an app where you click a button and close the door, and it’s confirmed on your phone. This way, you have a secure home no matter where you are. The same scenario holds true for industrial use cases. Bidirectional data allows you to turn devices – like pumps, drives and machinery – on and off to prevent failures and save time driving to remote places. What is the cost of an oil spill for an hour or productivity loss because machinery is down or, most importantly, equipment failure that triggers unsafe conditions? Devices with bidirectional integration lead to greater data accuracy and data accessibility across the enterprise. In a connected world, data democratization gives people insight to make smarter decisions and be more productive. For example, when a project manager and a safety engineer access the same real-time data, rather than work in data silos, system integration creates more efficient workflows. Shared data, connected “things,” and different platforms work together. Cellular devices with a bidirectional data path help integrate a project management platform with safety data. Imagine watching an HMI (human-machine interface) screen to monitor a pump’s pressure, temperature, flow rate and vibration. The screen flashes red, indicating high pressure and overheating. You’re able to hit the off button, eliminating a potential explosion. Every second counted and with bidirectional data, you averted disaster. Think of it this way: unidirectional data brings “problems” to you with no simple button to fix them. Stressful. Bidirectional data brings “problems” to you and the ability to solve those problems. Peaceful. One solution, however, begets more issues. At each end of the connection, there is an IP address or, put another way, a fresh opportunity to hack your network. Top Concern: Security Breaches Have you ever had a conversation involving IoT where security wasn’t part of the discussion? The answer, most likely, is no. With the continued rise of IoT devices on the network, the news platform Sci-Tech Today estimates that around 33% of attacks on IoT devices may impact critical operations, followed by 32% lack of skilled personnel to implement IoT security. Dynamic IPs can create greater network resilience because they simplify network administration and they typically experience fewer errors. Two words: be prepared. In our view, security is the biggest concern associated with IP addresses. Static IP addresses are easily trackable (after all, they always stay the same). Hackers can more easily compromise them and move horizontally across the network to target other digital assets. This is one reason why security is more than an IT problem, it’s a leadership concern. Find out why network security matters to C-suite executives. Read the blog. After more than 30 years working with remote industries, we believe in security-first design
Is Less More? How One SIM from FreeWave Streamlines IIoT Data for Global Hybrid Networks
Listen to the blog SIMs and Asset Management SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards debuted in the 1990s, the era of Beanie Babies and grunge. Along with changing styles and tastes (thankfully), SIM cards have evolved. Modern SIMs have a smaller footprint (from credit card to paperclip size) and larger capacity at a time when industrial internet of things devices (IIoT) are steeply rising. Also, the embedded SIM (eSIM) option is the “easy button,” delivering full-on network connectivity plus scalability for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). SIM cards allow data to travel over the internet to and from connected remote assets in the field: sensors, regulators, battery-operated solar systems, water tanks, as examples. The goal? Uninterrupted, secure cellular and satellite connectivity in remote environments. Yes, the humble SIM is the linchpin for keeping data in play. When it comes to asset management, these little chip cards carry a heavy load. Is managing multiple carriers across hundreds or thousands of SIMs, however, becoming a house of cards for global industrial operators? Could using a single SIM instead of many save money and time? How does that impact the demands of global hybrid networks? Will one SIM perform in near-impossible conditions? Could a single SIM make smart products smarter for OEMs? In this blog, we’ll share what we’ve discovered in global IIoT deployments that close the connectivity gap using satellite, cellular, and Wi-Fi so real-time data stays in play. Legacy LTE Connectivity Model for IoT is Yesterday’s Story A quick look back reveals how we got here. For the past two decades, high speed data transfer used Long Term Evolution (LTE) for 2G, 3G, and 4G. LTE started with a single provider in a one-to-one relationship model. Then came virtual private networks (VPNs), gateways and devices all connecting to enterprise on-prem. Tier one mobile network operators (MNOs) took a page from gerrymandering politics, quickly marking their wireless cellular territory. North America is a great example. You go to AT&T® for the regions not covered by Verizon® or vice versa. Suddenly, you have another vendor to manage. And another. And another. Now, overlay that around the world. Dizzying, we know. As those one-to-one relationships with carriers multiplied, operational expenses and costs go up. FreeWave’s VIoT-Flex Consolidates Multiple Carriers with One SIM It’s your day off. Time to pay personal bills. A steaming mug of coffee and laptop await your attention. Wouldn’t it be nice to hit one button and call it a day? That’s the benefit of one SIM. It’s simple. Instead of managing dozens of carrier invoices, searching your email for payment reminders, and paying each one individually, a single SIM gives you one invoice with one data rate to manage. How do you get this little chip in your hands? We thought you’d never ask. Enter VIoT-Flex, now available from FreeWave. We are the Master Reseller for Velocity IoT, a global mobile virtual network operator (unlike MNOs, MVNOs leverage the services of individual carriers, offering these services with one SIM, one invoice, one data rate plan – and one accountable partner to work with). Along with Velocity IoT, we’re making IoT more accessible and scalable to a variety of remote industrial operators. VIoT-flex delivers seamless cellular coverage with no coverage gaps for OT networks. Over-the-air updates keep connectivity solutions up-to-date. Here’s why solving the multi-SIM problem was so important for us. We look at the data journey holistically. We saw customers in remote parts of the world struggle with keeping track of multiple SIMs, especially as they added remote devices. (There’s no turning back – IIoT is expanding! IoT analytics predicts the number of connected IoT devices globally to reach 18.8 billion by the end of 2024, up from 16.6 billion at the end of 2023.) They wrestled with tracking of multiple invoices, multiple carriers – and multiple IMSIs (each mobile network operator has an International Mobile Subscriber Identity number). Carriers like AT&T and Verizon in North America, Rogers® in Canada, Telefónica® in Mexico each have their own IMSI numbers. When you turn on the cell modem, the IMSI looks at the modem to see what tower it can connect to. In the simple sense, the IMSI is programmed into the SIM card. With one SIM, if the modem can’t connect to the first carrier, it simply goes to the next one. Our single SIM seamlessly switches between cellular carriers and supports satellite NTN (non-terrestrial networks), ensuring reliable coverage in remote locations. Want to learn more about VIoT-Flex? Get details here. VIoT-Flex is like managing one SKU in your product stack. With VIoT-Flex, customers now have access to a vast global carrier library bridging local core mobile networks. With a three-in-one form factor, VIoT-Flex comes in 2FF normal, 3FF micro, and 4FF nano as well as embedded SIMS (eSIMs), which we’ll address in a moment. VIoT-Flex SIMs are made to withstand extreme temperatures, from a blustery -20 °C to a super hot +85 °C. VIoT-Flex eSIMs operate in -40 °C to a super hot +105 °C. Now, imagine one SIM with multiple IMSIs to SIMplify (we had to do it!) your life: One cellular invoice across many One data rate plan across many Only pay for data transmitted Global reach: 600+ carriers in 190+ countries Low latency with 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-M and NB-IoT No roaming fees, complex zoning tariffs, sub-optimal data pools, fixed contracts or time-consuming debugging Only FreeWave’s VIoT-Flex gives you access to an enterprise data platform so you can manage and program SIMs and data plans from one location. There’s the short story of how multiple IMSIs become one – giving users one invoice, one SIM for global cellular coverage. Breathing deeper? eSIMs Reduces Costs and Make OEM Products Smarter – even in Frigid Nebraska Winters Embedded SIM cards are called eSIMs. They are soldered right onto a device’s radio board for seamless wireless connectivity over a cellular network. OEM manufacturers use this because it protects the SIM from cracking or shrinking if it’s too cold or expanding and
Transforming Vulnerable VPNs with Zero Trust Security in 2025 is Sound Cyber Strategy
As the world becomes more connected and cyber villains get smarter, networks for remote operators are fair game to threats and cyber risks. Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are tasked to protect data, people, and reputations. Here, we explore why VPNs come up short while zero trust puts you ahead. CTOs, CIOs, and CISOs, you are the cyber watchdogs of your organizations, so this message is for you. In a previous blog written for C-suite leaders, we established that VPNs can come up short for keeping internal networks, including machinery, control systems, and databases, secure from the increasingly savvy hacker. Why does this matter? When we talk about the internet of things (IoT) today, everything is connected to the internet, from your watch or phone to thousands of business assets like machinery, sensors, and industrial equipment. With only a VPN standing guard, a hacker can get into your network through your facility’s smart thermostat (lest we forget the casino fish tank data hack of 2017). For decades, FreeWave has provided industrial IoT solutions for companies in oil and gas, agriculture, mining, water treatment, and other remote industries, to help them overcome a variety of network productivity issues and give them peace of mind that the health of their network – and the assets connected to it – is robust and secure. We believe, whether it’s working with our channel partners or adding our equipment to an OEM’s solution, that there are four essential security outcomes companies investing in IIoT should strive for: Secure remote monitoring and data management Automated, decisive response to threats No to low network vulnerabilities Cost savings compared to traditional VPN-based security Decommissioning a VPN as a primary source of cybersecurity in favor of zero trust network access (ZTNA) creates a stealthier, easier-to-use framework to detect and deflect cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity in the Wild West It is widely understood that Europe has continuously been five to 10 years ahead of the United States when it comes to cybersecurity. This is because the United States is like the freewheeling wild west. Cyber attacks cost companies billions of dollars. In IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach report for 2024, companies averaged a loss of $4.88 million, which is a 10% increase over 2023. More specifically to VPNs, the 2024 ThreatLabz VPN Risk Report published by Zscaler says that 78% of organizations plan to implement a zero trust strategy in the next 12 months with 91% of respondents concerned that VPNs will lead to a “compromising breach.” The survey says top threats to VPN vulnerabilities are ransomware (42%), other types of malware (35%), and DDoS (distributed denial-of-service which are attempts to overwhelm a server or network) attacks (30%). The findings make sense. Let’s say you notice nefarious traffic going across your network and you realize it is a former employee who still has access because their VPN credentials were not completely shut off. Even after you took their computer, they were able to go to their own computer, fire up a VPN and use their credentials to get into your network. VPNs are like a house – once you’re in, you’re in. Now you are faced with spending valuable time dealing with this behavior and any resulting damage. In contrast, a zero trust network promptly and fully blocks attackers from any access in the first place, making your job of monitoring considerably easier. As a tech leader, imagine what that level of security could do for your peace of mind as well as your company’s risk landscape. Zero trust is not new, but it has evolved. It was first coined in 2010 to protect enterprise networks, cloud networks, and basic IT networks. Two obstacles to zero trust are based on dangerous assumptions. One is that, while cyber attacks happen every day, they won’t happen to you. The other is that upgrading to ZTNA is too costly. If you’d like to explore why both are myths, give us a holler. To protect your data and network, start exploring the lowest level of your system and work from there. These questions are a good start to finding and closing vulnerabilities. What are your highest priority assets to protect? How will you handle encryption across diverse environments? Are you buying devices designed to implement zero trust? Are you buying network routers that are better suited for zero trust enablement? Are you developing edge networks with zero trust architecture to prevent people from plugging into an ethernet port on your network and destroying the site? What would be the potential harm to the business if your data and network were compromised? If you don’t have answers to all these questions, take heart. FreeWave has the capacity to interface with companies on their third-party applications that are not zero trust enabled. We manage this through what we call a “demilitarization zone,” where we have an unsecure system and a secure system and we match them together and know that the unsecure system is authenticated. We set up the entire network to avoid potential threats. Many remote, industrial operations have multiple locations to manage. A company with 10,000 sites – what we call the Razor’s Edge© where the data lives – would otherwise have to send its IT techs out to every site to implement a security platform. That means work, time, and expense. FreeWave is simplifying IIoT data by developing an easier pathway to zero trust on edge networks. Imagine sending a zero trust enabled device out to each site, installed on a network in minutes, while protecting said network down to the desired granular level. In the world of devices, the idea that a device can be designed and manufactured so that it is zero trust secured as it comes off the production line has been getting a lot of traction over the last five years. This approach is miles ahead compared to when VPNs were first introduced. You can always tap into FreeWave’s
Why Choosing Zero Trust Network Access Over Virtual Private Networks is a C-Suite Decision
You’re leading the company. Why do you need to care about your business’ network security approach? The answer comes from something all too familiar: the accelerated rate of change – and the quest by modern leaders to build a resilient company. PwC describes today as the “age of continuous reinvention” in its 27th Annual Global CEO Survey report. One of the most startling findings is that 45% of CEOs do not believe their company will be viable in 10 years if it stays on the current path. Part of the challenge is knowing what could take your company down. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities at the network level is on the list. PwC’s report shows that CEOs who believe their organization is viable for more than 10 years perceive inflation (21%) and cyber risks (21%) as top threats with macroeconomic volatility (20%) just a half-step behind. As chief technology officer for FreeWave, part of my role is to find weak spots in a network connected to the industrial internet of things (IIoT). I talk to many senior leaders from companies in the oil and gas, agriculture, mining, water treatment and other remote industries. What’s the number one pushback I run into? They tell me they use virtual private networks (VPNs). I call this “pushback” because, at FreeWave, we don’t let VPNs into our data platform. At their most basic level, VPNs are used to create a secure connection between a user’s device and the VPN server. Through that connection, data is encrypted, and a user’s IP address is hidden. As a result, VPNs can allow remote users to securely access internal networks, including machinery, control systems, and databases. For those who may not be familiar with a VPN (although we’ve all probably used one at some point), here’s a simple analogy. Think of a VPN as a tunnel buried far below intersecting highways. One end of the tunnel is an IIoT device and the other end is the server. Your car (let’s make it a Maserati, while we’re at it) is a data packet. Instead of traveling across potentially dangerous highways where threats abound (a malicious attempt to steal your Italian beauty and hold it for ransom, as an example), you take the tunnel built just for you and other authorized drivers you trust. The challenge today is that the tunnel is no longer safe. Why Are VPNs Insecure? Technology ages faster than a male tsetse fly. Our tiny-winged friends hit their teenage years by week two or so. In contrast, technology ages by the nanosecond. I think the reason why many people use VPNs is the same reason hackers infiltrate them so easily. VPNs are old technology. They have long been the go-to solution for providing remote access to industrial control systems (ICS) and other critical infrastructure. They were born during the rise of the internet late last century. One solution begets other problems. The world wide web went from 3 million to 16 million users between 1990 and 1995 (today, there are 5.45 billion users, around 67% of the population). As a result, a group led by Microsoft sought a solution to growing security concerns. That’s how VPNs were born. To be fair, there are ways to make VPNs secure, but the enormous expense doesn’t make financial sense for most companies. Here are three reasons why VPNs cause concerns when protecting an IIoT network: VPNs have outdated authentication models. Username and a password is all you need. I can get into a VPN easily. VPNs are a single point of failure. If something goes wrong with the server, you can’t get in. If I’m a hacker, the best way to take down every remote access in the world is to take down the VPN server. VPNs are hard to monitor. The actual traffic on the network makes it hard to identify nefarious activity flying across it. Let’s say you have this machine on the edge (edge is simply the source of where your data is – this might be where oil is drilled in upstream oil and gas, for example). The data is being processed on that machine (edge computing) and is connected to the corporate network via a VPN. A disgruntled employee leaving the company can sit in their car and use their username and password to access the device through a cellular system. What is the potential damage? In 2020, several prominent VPNs experienced critical vulnerabilities that allowed attackers to bypass encryption and access systems. The Colonial Pipeline attack, for example, was traced back to a legacy VPN, according to then CEO Joseph Blount. The East Coast company paid hackers $4.4 million to restore service quickly. VPNs create easy targets. Once you’re in, you have free rein to do what you want. Solving the Challenge to Scale Network Security A report by McKinsey and Company predicts 50 billion devices will be connected to the IIoT by 2025. The pace of change, according to the report, has increased tenfold. This means the risks and insecurities behind VPNs for organizations, especially remote industrial leaders, are rising. I talked to a large agricultural company recently that uses a VPN. Here’s how the conversation went: Them: How can we add 20,000 sites to our system? Me: We’d have to add 20,000 VPNs. Them: Wait, what? Me: It’s really difficult. VPNs are hard to scale. One VPN is one thing, but many VPNs are a nightmare. We believe a better way to secure a network is to use Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). ZTNA creates a network fabric using the principle of least privilege access (PoLP). The premise: trust no one. Each user accesses only the data they need. See how the lens flips from inside out to outside in? In a ZTNA, each user has a policy. This means they are authenticated for access to specific areas. The disgruntled employee mentioned earlier? They cannot go anywhere in the fabric without authorization. Even better, that user’s access can be easily removed or revoked. Ever
The #1 Strategy Remote Industrial Operators Need to Win the AI Race
From the inaugural Olympics in 776 B.C. until today, one thing has remained the same: athletes bring gritty, physical prowess to their chosen sport – and the human desire for excellence. Of course, other things like culture, fashion, and technology have changed dramatically (thankfully, since athletes in the first Olympics competed naked!). In the Olympic Games Paris 2024, one game changer is the role of artificial intelligence (AI). Remote industrial operators looking to scale business value and improve decision-making through edge data, take note: the Olympics, watched by 3 billion people from around the world, is deploying AI to improve future performance of their event. According to an article published by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), AI and digital twinning are being used as an efficiency booster for future Olympic games – from energy consumption to identifying the best places to place cameras and power sources. “The expectation for a lot of people is ‘I’ll just AI it.’ It’s like a magic wand.” One thing AI demands is historical data. This is why we are so passionate about industrial operators owning their data. Without data ownership, it’s a false start when using large language models to train and leverage AI algorithms. In the article entitled “AI and Tech Innovations at Paris 2024: A Game Changer in Sport,” Ilario Corna, the IOC’s chief technology officer said, “We started gathering various operational data as far back as 2020, to look at how we can make the management of the Olympic Games more efficient.” Ryan Treece, global business development manager – data platform & AI solutions at FreeWave, has seen AI evolve over the past decade. He says companies that don’t give customers rights to their data are putting them at a disadvantage. “The thing is that those who own their data will eventually win because they can use it while others will start from zero.” Catching up over time, he points out, becomes increasingly difficult as competitors advance. Companies that secure data ownership today are the ones who will lead tomorrow or, in Olympic terms, will earn gold in the AI race. That’s one reason FreeWave drafted the IIoT Bill of Rights (data governance is amendment one) – as a way for remote industrial operators to leverage technology for future growth and opportunities. Importance of Data Ownership in the Age of AI Owning your data is not just a competitive advantage; it’s a necessity. “There are a lot of AI solution providers,” Ryan explains. “The expectation for a lot of people is ‘I’ll just AI it.’ It’s like a magic wand. Look into the future, though, and ask: What do vendors like? Reliance on their systems.” Ryan says there is no one “mega-solution” out there to solve every problem, but, if there’s one thing he hopes industrial operators know it’s that data ownership means leveraging your data for operational and business performance. “We’re targeting predictive maintenance to prevent machines from going down, reduce fuel waste just to see if a machine is running dozens or even hundreds of miles away, and increase efficiencies so people are not wasting time and energy resources. Data creates long-time success.” Just as the IOC is using AI to create more efficiency in the future, he says understanding data over time enables industrial operators to continuously improve. While still under development, FreeWave is building its AI solutions around domain expertise. Through its FreeWave® Insights™ data platform, it’s connecting decision-makers with data at the edge via sensor technology, pulling in SCADA system data as well. He cites vibration tension sensors as an example. If a rotating asset like a bearing, for example, wobbles, an alert is sent to a single pane of glass – a dashboard connected to the Insights data platform. From there, a technician can add the issue to his planning schedule. Ryan shares the story of when he lived in Michigan. An automotive manufacturer that made panels, a “tier one supplier” in the industry, didn’t have the budget to climate control the entire building. In hot, humid weather, the adhesive failed. Since variables change over time, he says, IIoT solved the problem. “Vibration and temperature data from sensors showed the numbers going up and down. Historical data tells us to change the adhesive or turn up the AC or ramp up the climate control when needed. The manufacturer and its solution providers knew what knobs to turn by identifying trends in a specific period.” That’s why, he says, data ownership is so important. Without data, AI becomes impossible. Solve – and Simplify – Operational Problems “We’re working on solutions that reduce the tech stack and address specific problems like predictive maintenance and trends analysis of sensor data,” said Ryan. “When I’m thinking data, I’m thinking of a huge Excel spreadsheet.” Real-time monitoring of temperature, vibration, or water levels, for example, are important variables for industrial leaders: oil and gas producers with fields in remote or rural areas, large-scale agricultural operations with water pump stations dotting thousands of acres, or public and municipal providers with aging infrastructure in need of robust, remote network strength. These are places, Ryan says, that pose a risk for people to perform daily or weekly monitoring. Ryan points to his hometown of Austin, Texas, where the energy grid is unreliable, especially during hurricane season or super hot summer months. The panels on the grid can overheat. Alerts notify engineers to replace components before problems start. Rather than react, alerts and predictive maintenance reduce downtime. Another example he gives is California where water is a precious commodity. Knowing humidity levels, soil moisture, and water consumption allows agriculturalists to invest minimal resources for better outcomes. AI, he says, optimizes sensor data locally, at the edge, by providing analyses crucial to decision-makers. Failure-Proofing Connectivity Keeps Data in Play Oftentimes, industrial operators don’t have ready access to cellular or Wi-Fi, however, satellite is an optimal solution for areas with questionable coverage and those wanting a strong back-up connection. Pairing satellite with the FreeWave cloud-based Insights platform-as-a-service
Industrial Operators – You Own Your Data and Then Some
July here in the states is painted red, white, and blue. It’s a time when freedom becomes front and center. We are grateful for our young country. We remember the Founding Fathers and the sacrifices they made. We recognize, if only for a moment, our collective pride. No matter your country of origin, those who came before were brave enough to make a path toward a future with greater freedom. This got us thinking (after all, we do have “free” in our company name!). What does freedom mean when it comes to data? What does freedom mean for remote network industry leaders? Freedom means access to your data. Freedom means ownership of your data. Freedom means visualizing operations through real-time data. Data, in a sense, renders the freedom to take action, make informed decisions, and realize greater business value at scale. At FreeWave, we pledge to make IIoT data a freedom all remote industrial leaders can enjoy. Freedom gives way to growth, learning, and success. For more than 30 years, we have believed in the power of data. Data impacts decisions, business value, and, most importantly, the very future and safety of real people and our planet. Henceforth (to borrow from our Founding Fathers’ lingo), we’ve taken the liberty to create the first-ever industrial internet of things (IIoT) Bill of Rights. This is more than a list of nice-to-haves, they are must-haves for remote industrial operators of every size and industry. The IIoT Bill of Rights is our position on data governance and data democratization. It addresses global reach – that a remote industrial operator can be anywhere in the world and know what’s happening within their operations no matter how far they are spread out and what environmental conditions surround them. We believe a secure cloud environment is the right of every remote industrial leader. Zero Trust Security is not a privilege of a few, but the mainstay of many. Data should be kept safe, no questions asked. We also champion continuous connectivity. This comes by way of unlimited, high-speed, affordable satellite connectivity for all. To round our IIoT Bill of Rights, we lean into one of our four core values: Be a simplifier. This means that IIoT data solutions should be easy, plug-and-play deployments. No hair-pulling. No head-scratching. No unnecessary downtime. Instead: Open box. Power on. Get Data. This means fast deployment because uptime is one of the biggest freedoms IIoT data enables. Data inspires greater uptime because you have knowledge at your fingertips to make amazing decisions that keep operations running smoothly, all while keeping people safer. Another IIoT Bill of Rights amendment calls for cross-translation of protocols so that remote industrial companies can transform existing SCADA networks into data racetracks that carry more data, faster. Cross-translation allows different edge or SCADA protocols on the edge, SCADA, and even devices that speak different protocols to communicate. This is how industrial leaders can unleash the full power of an IIoT network infrastructure. The last amendment is AI readiness – because those who own their data will win the AI race. To see FreeWave’s full IIoT Bill of Rights, read our position paper. Working with our expert technical staff at FreeWave and experienced channel partners to solve your biggest wireless and edge computing challenges, you leverage the full solution for IoT connectivity that includes the FreeWave Insights™ data platform-as-a-service, satellite service connectivity (we’re a Connectivity Wholesale Partner in Viasat’s ELEVATE program), our portfolio of rugged connected devices, and satellite-connected devices (we’re a Global Authorized Reseller of ORBCOMM). If you’re passionate about bringing meaningful technology solutions to remote industrial companies, join us as a channel partner. If you’re a remote operator looking to scale business value leveraging your IIoT data, contact us here. We’re making a path to a future where data serves industrial operators in measurable and positive ways. Let’s do it together.
SCADA + Satellite Equals Industry’s Latest Power Couple
When it comes to remote industrial operations, there’s only one constant, and that is change. Change can occur in an instant — a burst pipe, an equipment malfunction, a flash flood. But, more often, change creeps up slowly and then suddenly looms large. Take, for example, the worsening labor shortage. Nowadays, if something does go wrong in the field, you might be hard-pressed to find someone to go out and fix it without leaving a gaping hole in another part of your operations. Changes give way to more changes, but they also give rise to certainties. For instance, industries with large-scale remote operations know that automating equipment and functions — and monitoring those automated systems from afar — is imperative in today’s world, where resources are short yet production demands are a tall order to fill. That’s one reason why the global industrial internet of things (IIoT) market size is projected to reach a staggering $1,683.30 trillion by 2030, up from last year’s value of $321.81 billion, according to a market analysis by Grand View Research. It’s also certain that, in some respects, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As digital transformation across various industries kicks into high gear, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) — a decades-old but highly implemented technology heavily used by oil and gas, water treatment, energy and manufacturing — is adapting to meet the demands of the modern industry, proving it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. And that brings us to another certainty that still comes as a surprise to some SCADA users: Satellite connectivity has emerged as one of the fastest, most reliable, and most secure methods of transferring data from remote IIoT devices to existing SCADA systems. Today’s satellite systems are easy and inexpensive to deploy, and they make IIoT technology easier to scale. Space, it turns out, is the next new frontier for industrial leaders. During “McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2023,” futurists predicted the space market to reach $1 trillion in the next decade with the number of satellites tripling during that time. While quick to acknowledge and adapt to changes that affect day-to-day operations and key performance indicators, SCADA users by and large have not been early adopters of satellite technology over the past decade, in part because of its historic reputation of being pricey, having high latency, and providing limited bandwidth. The world of satellite has changed. And FreeWave is stepping up to play matchmaker. We’re building an evolutionary path toward an end-to-end solution (more on that in a bit). Reliable, consistent connectivity is key. FreeWave is a Global Authorized Reseller of ORBCOMM and a Connectivity Wholesale Partner in Viasat’s ELEVATE program (Viasat, headquartered in Carlsbad, California, just completed its acquisition of London-based Inmarsat). It’s time, in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, for one of industry’s long-standing staples, SCADA, to join forces with modern industry’s rising star — satellite connectivity. Satellite Adoption’s Meteoric Rise How can companies be certain that satellite is the future-proof connectivity solution for remote operations? Follow the money. Satellite IIoT revenue is expected to surpass $130 million by 2032 in North America alone, according to Viasat. Globally, the compounded annual growth rate in that time span is estimated at 27 percent. By sector, the oil and gas (O&G) industry leads the pack, with satellite IIoT investment more than doubling over the next decade to about $115 million worldwide in 2032. Smart agriculture, transportation and mining also are pack leaders, with the utilities industry not far behind. Growth might accelerate even faster were it not for the persistence of outmoded notions about satellite communications. When they think of satellite, some corporate decision makers picture a dish as wide as an above-ground swimming pool that costs about $5,000 just to set up, plus $500 to $1,000 a month to operate. But that’s like judging a job candidate based on his 10-year-old paper résumé instead of his up-to-date LinkedIn profile. It’s true that satellite communications were relatively slow and clunky a decade ago, but satellites these days can be as small as a petri dish and cost as little as $500, with monthly service available for as low as $30. Companies with remote operations have relied mostly on cellular connectivity and other terrestrial solutions to transmit remote data to their SCADA networks. But as IIoT continues its push into underserved locations — from remote grazing pastures in Wyoming to rugged open-pit lithium mines in Western Australia — satellite offers distinct advantages. Going back to our earlier example of a burst pipe, equipment malfunction or unexpected weather crisis – that is all too common for remote industrial operators – satellite provides reliable and real-time connectivity. Here’s why this is important. In sparsely populated or harsh environments, cellular service might be limited, spotty, or altogether unavailable. In especially isolated areas, where a cell tower sighting is about as likely as a Yeti sighting (not the outdoor product goods, but the fabled ape-like creature), satellite connectivity may be the only viable solution for monitoring SCADA equipment. Where cellular coverage is available, sensor data travels wirelessly from tower to tower until it reaches the SCADA master station. Along the way, landscape features like mountains, buildings, and even clumps of trees can interfere with transmission. For this reason, satellite is a great “insurance policy” for remote connectivity that needs continuous uptime. By contrast, satellite communication does not depend on land-based transmission, so landscape features won’t block the signal. Data travels from sensors to a satellite in space and bounces back to the master station without interference except for extreme weather events that can sometimes cause a signal delay commonly called “rain fade.” FreeWave and its partners have an answer for that. With the acquisition of Inmarsat, Viasat’s fleet provides full global coverage via 19 satellites in space spanning the Ka-, S-, and L-bands. L-band signals can penetrate through rain, snow, and other inclement weather, so signal reduction is not an issue. L-band communication also offers