According to research by ABI Research, the number of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connections is expected to increase by 2.36 billion by 2026. Currently, more than 12 billion IIoT devices are installed globally, collecting and transmitting data in factories and other industrial facilities.
The adoption of Industry 4.0 enables businesses to securely use data and analytics for a range of applications, including predictive analytics, remote asset monitoring, minimizing machine downtime, and centralized storage. However, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)—the latest wave of technology—brings a host of challenges that manufacturers and businesses must address to truly benefit from smart manufacturing.
Here are some common challenges that enterprises face in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and how to address them.
The Internet of Things is still fraught with security issues.
It is estimated that by next year, 25% of enterprise attacks will utilize the Internet of Things (IoT) in some form. According to Gartner, only 10% of enterprise security spending is on IoT. Due to the lack of regular firmware updates and the small footprint of operating systems, sensors have become a popular entry point for malicious actors.
Businesses must address the following issues:
▲Most attacks are the result of human error. All employees must undergo security training before full implementation.
▲ Wireless networks must be segmented; apart from firewalls, no device should be located on multiple networks.
▲ Firewalls between the production workshop and other parts of the organization need to use a default denial method, and specific ports must be opened only when data needs to be transmitted.
▲ Allocate a budget for new security processes and tools, and hire a professional outsourcing vendor to install and configure them. Anomaly detection systems are a good idea, but you'll also need a robust device tracking and network access control approach.
▲Analyze risks at every step of Industrial IoT implementation. Run penetration tests regularly to ensure your network is properly audited.
Industrial IoT security is manageable and must be planned at every stage of project development.
Slower network performance
Most networks on the market today are not designed to meet the challenges of the rapidly expanding Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). We are beginning to see integration across multiple systems and video surveillance. This necessitates integrated networks with high bandwidth to combine multiple data sources and even control commands.
To mitigate this process, utilizing technologies such as 4G and 5G is crucial because of their high data transmission rates.
Many other options are available for building high-speed networks capable of meeting the demands of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Network engineers are turning to gigabit-level backbones for uninterrupted high performance. The IEEE 802.11n standard is another option, offering rates up to 300 Mbps and MIMO for seamless video over wireless networks.
Furthermore, multicast technology must be present in the core, edge, and access layers of the network to optimize operation. Network performance can be further improved by leveraging video systems that utilize the network more effectively through intelligent video analytics, identifying video streams and prioritizing them through motion and object detection or alarm zones.
Limited experience and resources
ABI Research reports that more than 50% of manufacturing professionals believe that a lack of in-house skills and experience is a major obstacle to their adoption of new technologies.
To overcome this obstacle, industrial enterprises need to partner with experienced IoT providers who can help build industrial IoT strategies, establish organizational coordination, and integrate key security elements. Trusted advisors with industrial IoT knowledge and experience can maximize your ROI.
These challenges in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) may seem daunting, but they also demonstrate the full collaboration required across sectors, the entire enterprise, and manufacturers to navigate this new trend in technological advancement.
