Secure, Scalable Management for Constrained IoT Networks

Introduction

Millions of IoT devices are being deployed into a range of applications supporting Smart Cities, Smart Grids, Smart… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Secure, Scalable Management for Constrained IoT Networks

Introduction

Millions of IoT devices are being deployed into a range of applications supporting Smart Cities, Smart Grids, Smart Manufacturing, and Smart Agriculture. Many of these devices operate within Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN), characterized by Kbps links, kilometer range, ability to operate for years with limited power, and low cost. One example is the Wi-SUN Field Area Network.

Regardless of the constrained nature of LPWANs, the typical operations for network and device management must still be securely provided:

Network join.
IP address acquisition.
Registration with a device manager.
Device configuration.
Device performance monitoring.
Alarm reporting.
Firmware update.
Enterprise class security for all of the above.

For LPWANs, these operations require a management tactic suited to the constraints of limited bandwidth, high latencies, lossy links, and limited device compute / power / memory resources.

CoAP Simple Management Protocol

CoAP Simple Management Protocol (CSMP), deployed by Cisco for nearly a decade, is today managing several 10s of millions of devices in a wide range of Industrial IoT applications built atop Cisco Resilient Mesh. Purpose-built for lifecycle management of resource constrained devices and networks, the CSMP protocol stack requires minimum compute, memory and bandwidth. Messaging uses a profile of the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) and Protocol Buffers to implement efficient device registration, device configuration, firmware update, device status monitoring, and device alerts/faults reporting.

Introducing OpenCSMP

CSMP is a popular choice for device management within Cisco Resilient Mesh and Wi-SUN Field Area Networks, which are deployed at scale for critical infrastructure such as utility metering, utility distribution automation, and municipal street lighting.

Given the growing pressure to expand CSMP into new use cases, Cisco has decided to make CSMP publicly available. To that end, Cisco is announcing the availability of OpenCSMP which will provide …

An open source implementation of the OpenCSMP device agent library.
A sample Linux application demonstrating the usage of the OpenCSMP agent library.
A developer guide describing how to host and extend OpenCSMP for common embedded platforms.
An OpenCSMP protocol specification.

The OpenCSMP technology stack is depicted below:

The usage of Protocol Buffers and CoAP provides binary message encoding for maximum efficiency for constrained networks. The Platform Abstraction Interface provides for easy porting to various RTOS environments, vendor hardware, and physical networks.

Cisco intends to launch OpenCSMP with a fully functional device agent and companion release of Cisco Field Network Director in Summer 2024. This first release will target Linux and FreeRTOS platforms.

“The announcement of OpenCSMP provides an exciting opportunity to extend proven device management capabilities to the growing ecosystem of 3rd party Wi-SUN and other resource constrained devices. In partnership with the Cisco Field Network Director management tool, customers and partners can scale new solutions for advanced metering or distribution automation with ease“, said Clay Stroud, Product Manager for Field Network Director at Cisco.

A number of prominent IoT silicon vendors are already helping to shape OpenCSMP. The aim is to grow the OpenCSMP user community and capabilities via continuing Cisco and community contributions.

“We welcome Cisco’s decision to open CSMP up to the public. Our R&D team has been working on implementing the protocol on VertexCom Wi-SUN chips so as to ensure that our partners’ devices can meet the stringent requirements of long-range, large-scale networking across diverse application scenarios, from smart metering to smart street lighting and agriculture. OpenCSMP is a step forward towards a more unified device management,” said Benjamin Ou, Assistant Vice President at VertexCom.

“At Silicon Labs we have taken the steps and made the investments to make software a core competency, so that we can make sure that developers have the tools they prefer to build world-class IoT applications,” said Abhijit Grewal, Senior Marketing Director, Smart Cities at Silicon Labs. “Now, Silicon Labs has entered into a Joint Engineering Collaboration with Cisco to bring OpenCSMP to our Wi-SUN FAN 1.0 and 1.1 devices to allow developers to manage these devices through Cisco’s Field Network Director, used by some of the largest utility providers in the world.”

“Renesas is happy to announce that we have integrated Cisco’s OpenCSMP into our Renesas Wi-SUN FAN solution”, said Peter Knazko of Renesas Electronics Corporation and Vice Chairman of the Wi-SUN Alliance. “We recognize the value of Cisco’s OpenCSMP enterprise class network management protocol for challenging industrial IoT applications across a wide variety of segments, from smart metering to smart cities and smart industrial applications.”

To learn more about OpenCSMP…

• Review the OpenCSMP Agent library.
• Review the OpenCSMP Sample Application.
• Review the Developer Guide.
• Learn more about Wi-SUN Field Area Network.

Find more developer resources for building IoT solutions

"}]]  Secure, scalable management for constrained IoT networks - the formerly proprietary CSMP protocol used in Field Network Director is now available in an open source version.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

Co-Authored by Julie Greene, Cisco Business Development Director, Computacenter

Globally, we’re witnessing a surge in interest and initiatives focused on sustainability. Organizations worldwide are r… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Co-Authored by Julie Greene, Cisco Business Development Director, Computacenter

Globally, we’re witnessing a surge in interest and initiatives focused on sustainability. Organizations worldwide are reaching out, striving to address energy and resource consumption challenges.  In response, Cisco and Computacenter, a Cisco Environmental Sustainability Specialized partner, have teamed up to assist our mutual customers in advancing their sustainability objectives.

For starters, Computacenter has achieved being Carbon Neutral for FY2022, with over 85% of Scope 1 & 2 emissions reduced since 2015 and the residual emissions for 2022 offset. They will now look to maintain this in future years, with reducing the need for offsetting as they continue to drive down emissions across their business. Also, Computacenter has been approved for near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets by the Sciences Based Target Initiative (SBTi) and they have also verified that Computacenter is on target to achieving net-zero by 2040. It is essential to emphasize that establishing this goal marks an incredible achievement—a truly exciting milestone.

In parallel, Cisco has already been setting and achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals for over 15 years. We continually assess our progress and maintain accountability.

We strive to make it easier to collaborate, create better scale and enable best practice sharing with our partners around the world, through a framework that provides resources, tools and assets. As an example, Partnering for Purpose, an initiative launched at Cisco’s Partner Summit in November 2022, accelerates the collective positive impact that Cisco, our partners, customers, and suppliers can have on the planet and in our communities around the world. We’re also proud to share that in Cisco fiscal year 2024 we plan to come to market with offers across our services portfolio that have been designed with sustainability in mind, focusing on four key areas – Sustainability in Data Center, Smart Buildings and Workspaces, Internet of the Future, and Industry Solutions and Ecosystems.

Prioritizing purposeful refreshes

We’re also advocating for “purposeful refreshes” when technology is reaching the end of its support cycle to take advantage of Cisco’s significant product advancements in sustainability. Cisco’s efforts to embedour   circular design principles and sustainability into the design of our products, from packaging to energy consumption, positions Cisco as an industry leader. Cisco is also working to develop solutions and architectures designed with sustainability in mind, benefiting both ComputaCenter and our customers. Cisco’s proactive stance supports customers in advancing their sustainability goals.

Transforming to purposeful refresh migration with UCB

As an example, for years Computacenter has been in the business of infrastructure refreshes, motivated by the pursuit of newer, improved, and faster hardware. That said, we are now in the process of shifting gears towards more purposeful refreshes, where sustainability takes the driver’s seat in guiding our refresh initiatives.

UCB — a global biopharma company based in Europe — began an infrastructure refresh motivated by power consumption considerations. Computacenter compared the power consumption of the company’s existing hardware deployed in over 40 countries — including remote switching, wireless access points (APs), and Data Center hardware — versus migrating to new hardware. The migration included Day-0 onboarding for devices, removing the need for IT personnel to manually provision and configure hardware, reducing the risk of human error.

What did we uncover? Well, it’s quite the twist in the tale. Initially, it seemed like the new hardware we were proposing would consume less power compared to the existing deployment, however, the new solution had higher power consumption, capacity and port density.

But here’s where the plot takes a turn. By deploying Cisco DNA Center and DNA Spaces integrated with Computacenter’s Asset Intelligence portal, this integration allowed our customers to monitor and manage their hardware across their global network more closely. This enabled them to optimize power usage, reallocating power during certain times of the day.

The result? By gaining better control over their equipment through improved monitoring capabilities, our customer reduced its overall global energy consumption, thanks to the deployment of that new hardware. Now, that’s what I call a power move!

Our UCB Global Infrastructure and Services teams have found that Computacenter is a true visionary partner with a team of leaders who believe in making the world a better place. Computacenter’s approach to transforming IT has proven for a more sustainable future and should be an example for any corporation to work with them. Thank you Computacenter for helping make the world breath again!   —Joris Van Brussel, Director eConnectivity

Leveraging Cisco open APIs

Expanding on Computacenter’s sustainability efforts, it’s worth highlighting that understanding our customers and addressing their unique requirements is paramount. While Cisco continually drives innovation, it’s often Cisco’s trusted partners like Computacenter who are on the front lines, tackling intricate challenges such as sustainability objectives on behalf of our customers. This is where Cisco Services APIs play a pivotal role, enabling partners and customers to seamlessly access and utilize Cisco data in a straightforward, secure, and scalable manner.

Consider, for instance, the collaborative efforts of Computacenter and Cisco through the integration of Cisco’s APIs into Computacenter’s Asset Intelligence Portal Smart HUB. This integration enables precise identification of an organization’s install base. These initiatives align with Cisco Solutions, encompassing the utilization of Nexus Dashboard, Webex, and DNA Spaces. These transformative solutions extend beyond mere optimization; they are strategically designed to enhance operational intelligence. Whether the goal is to develop intelligent building systems or construct innovative hybrid work solutions, Computacenter remains at the forefront, with environmental sustainability integrated into our approach.

We all must do our part to reduce energy consumption

Not a day goes by without more negative news around climate change. A question we all face is how can we as individuals make a difference? How can I contribute to help mitigate climate change?

If you work in IT, you can make a difference, and Cisco and Computacenter are partnering to help you make that difference. In fact, there are very tangible things we can do to reduce the energy consumption of the equipment we deploy to help run our businesses on our net zero journeys.

Learn more about Cisco environmental sustainability and check out

our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting Hub

We’d love to hear what you think. Ask a Question, Comment Below, and Stay Connected with #CiscoPartners on social!

Cisco Partners Facebook  |  @CiscoPartners X/Twitter  |  Cisco Partners LinkedIn

"}]]  We’re witnessing a surge in sustainability. Organizations worldwide are reaching out, striving to address energy and resource consumption challenges.  In response, Cisco and Computacenter, have teamed up to assist our mutual customers in advancing their sustainability objectives.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

This year, like no other, we will see organizations tap into APIs to sidestep the complexity and cost of developing and maintaining their own AI solutions and models.

In pursuit of digital… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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This year, like no other, we will see organizations tap into APIs to sidestep the complexity and cost of developing and maintaining their own AI solutions and models.

In pursuit of digital transformation, enterprises are harnessing the capabilities of data, automation, and innovation to create more value and competitive advantage. AI services, such as biometric access control, content generation, image analysis, and conversational agents, offer immense potential for enhancing business processes. With their proliferation, there is a growing need to access those capabilities quickly and easily.

Application programming interfaces (APIs) make it easier to access AI functionalities without having to build them from scratch. This way, organizations can leverage the power of AI without having to deal with the complexity and cost of developing and maintaining their own AI models. Here’s why APIs are essential in the emerging world of AI services:

Efficiency: APIs allow quick access to AI capabilities without the need for extensive development efforts.
Cost-Effectiveness: Developing and maintaining AI models can be complex and expensive. APIs provide an alternative of ready-made functionalities.
Scalability: APIs enable seamless integration of various AI tools and services. They act as bridges, connecting different components effortlessly.

Many businesses have identified APIs as an important enabler of their digital transformation objectives. The ease of integration offered by this “API abstraction” approach makes it possible to utilize AI across varied business operations and processes without having to write a lot of code. Taking it a step further, in the not-so-distant future, APIs will also let businesses customize AI solutions for their specific needs.

The API advantage will fuel AI-powered growth

According to the Cisco AI Readiness Index, only a quarter (27%) of respondents said AI deployment has been given priority for additional budget, compared to other technological deployments. So how can organizations accelerate AI in their own context? One key trend that will grow in the year ahead is toward using APIs which act as bridges that effortlessly integrate many different AI tools, services, and solutions. This will make it easy to use AI to automate certain tasks, find useful information from data, and make better decisions.

In her annual tech predictions for the year ahead, Liz Centoni, Cisco Chief Strategy Officer and GM of Applications, explained the trends that will shape this shift.

“This year will also mark the beginning of a race to API-driven customization where organizations can choose and combine APIs from various providers, easily tailoring AI solutions to meet unique and novel requirements. Flexibility and scalability will foster effortless collaboration with external AI experts, startups, and research institutions, fueling an exchange of ideas and breakthrough advancements,” she said.

Bridging the gap between AI readiness and reality

Liz Centoni’s tech predictions highlight the benefits of APIs in the customization race that is accelerating with the emergence of AI across nearly every facet of software development.

APIs can bridge the gap between AI readiness and AI reality. By integrating APIs, businesses can:

Automate Tasks: Whether it’s automating customer interactions, streamlining internal workflows, or developing better software faster, APIs facilitate access to AI-driven processes.
Extract Insights: APIs allow organizations to extract valuable information from data. The result is better decision making around such areas as resources, customers, and revenue.
Enhance Efficiency: APIs enable seamless communication between different systems. For instance, integrating AI into software development can increase time to market and innovation.

As digital transformation continues to evolve, APIs will remain a critical tool for unlocking AI’s full potential. This will create a new and exciting ecosystem of AI-focused APIs that can grow and evolve along with businesses and entire industries.

These curated model gardens are already taking shape and will make it possible for developers to access collections of enterprise-ready foundation models, task-specific models, and APIs in conjunction with tools designed to simplify the process of building and deploying custom models.

APIs are not just technical bridges – they are enablers of innovation and progress. By embracing APIs, organizations can ride the wave of AI-powered digital transformation and stay ahead in an ever-changing competitive landscape.

With AI as both catalyst and canvas for innovation, this is one of a series of blogs exploring Cisco EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, and GM of Applications Liz Centoni’s tech predictions for 2024. Her complete tech trend predictions can be found in The Year of AI Readiness, Adoption, and Tech Integration ebook.

Catch the other blogs in the 2024 Tech Trends series.

"}]]  See how this year, like no other, organizations will tap into APIs to sidestep the complexity and cost of developing and maintaining their own AI solutions and models.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

The global cost of cybercrime in 2023 was set to hit 8 trillion U.S. dollars. The financial industry is a prime target as the rate of ransomware attacks has nearly doubled (64%) since 2021. Financial… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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The global cost of cybercrime in 2023 was set to hit 8 trillion U.S. dollars. The financial industry is a prime target as the rate of ransomware attacks has nearly doubled (64%) since 2021. Financial institutions are protecting against cybersecurity attacks by having a strong infrastructure that is able to enforce a zero trust policy. This cornerstone of a zero trust policy is based on having an idea of who or what the end system is that is requesting access.

Traditional password systems, while simple, are obsolete. Human factors on password reuse and complexity, coupled with extensive password breaches, have neutralized their security effectiveness. Having a multi-factor system, and understanding context of the request (location, time, etc.) is critical to laying the groundwork for being able to trust. To ensure good security hygiene, numerous regulatory bodies have instituted regulations that enforce financial institutions adoption of multi-factor systems to protect not only the end user of their financial products, but also to protect the core of the financial system. In places where federal regulations weren’t strong enough, states have taken the lead, with New York and California passing similar state mandates that financial institutions or companies that “significantly engage in financial activities” must use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to protect their data.

Cisco Duo helps financial institutions secure their customers data and meet these regulatory requirements. Thousands of financial institutions are currently using Duo as a MFA solution to keep their most trusted resources, their customers wealth, protected.

A key advantage of Duo is it helps with the common security challenge, a lot of security controls don’t get implemented because of complexity for the end user or lack of scalability. Duo stands out because it is both extremely user-friendly and highly scalable, proven by its widespread adoption in educational settings and by administrators managing some of the industry’s biggest multi-tenant cloud environments. Its effectiveness is evident—it simply works. Furthermore, Duo’s extensive integrations utilize standards-based protocols, making the solution straightforward and accessible for developers to work with as well.

An example of the extensive capabilities and integrations of the Duo platform is shown below in the graphic.

Some of the regulations that can be satisfied by Cisco Duo include:

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): Requires MFA to be implemented as defined in Requirement 8.3 and its sub-requirements. (PCI, 2017)
FFIEC: Provides guidance on usage of MFA for clients.
Payments Service Directive2 (PSD2): Strong customer authentication requires use of MFA.

Recently Cisco Duo provided targeted recommendations on how customers can help apply CISA’s guidance around the scattered spider cybersecurity group. Creating a defense in-depth and zero trust architecture requires a secure solution that remains user-friendly for the end user. Cisco Duo is helping financial institutions achieve their security compliance and protect themselves as part of a defense in-depth strategy.

Here are additional links on regulatory guidance around MFA.

FFIEC Issues Guidance on Authentication and Access to Financial Institution Services and Systems
Appendix to demonstrate how to use FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool in conjunction with the FFIEC Information Technology (IT) Examination Handbook
PCI Security Standards Council Multi-Factor Authentication Guidance

"}]]  With its ease of integration and adherence to standards-based protocols, Duo has become the go-to MFA platform for thousands of financial institutions, ensuring that the security of their systems does not impede accessibility nor compromise the user experience.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

We are happy to announce that Cisco Meraki has successfully achieved FedRAMP® agency Authority to Operate (ATO), creating a separate cloud-based platform for U.S. Government entities, including the … Read more on Cisco Blogs

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We are happy to announce that Cisco Meraki has successfully achieved FedRAMP® agency Authority to Operate (ATO), creating a separate cloud-based platform for U.S. Government entities, including the flagship Meraki networking products MX (security and SD-WAN), MS (switching), and MR (access points). This is a major milestone for us as we continue to scale Meraki infrastructure to meet the needs of larger governments and enterprise customers as we move toward our vision of Cisco Networking Cloud.

Committed to security

FedRAMP certification requires our teams to complete a meticulous and rigorous product assessment to ensure the Meraki platform adheres to the most stringent security standards. With the FedRAMP Moderate designation, we are now able to offer a simple, secure platform approach for U.S. federal customers, just as we do for our commercial customers.

With this authorization, we are dedicated to diligently monitoring our platform and ensuring ongoing compliance with government requirements to maintain a secure environment for our federal customers. This platform is purpose-built for government customers and data is not shared with our commercial platform.

Factors that contribute to our security posture include protected and effective monitoring and configuration of data storage in a multi-tenant environment using encryption and data segmentation. This highly available and secure out-of-band control plane helps ensure no user traffic passes through Meraki data centers.

Additionally, we deliver rigorous physical security at our data centers located on U.S. soil, including high-security access control with biometric readers, video surveillance, and 24×7 security guard monitoring.

More to come

Our journey does not end here. FedRAMP authorization opens up new and exciting possibilities, addressing the stringent and specific security requirements of the U.S. Federal Government as well as state, local, and educational entitites.

Click here for more details about our Cisco Meraki for Government solution, and look for further updates as we remain steadfast in pushing the boundaries of excellence in government platform security. Together, we are embracing an innovative, secure future for the federal sector.

"}]]  Cisco Meraki announces FedRAMP® agency Authority to Operate (ATO), reflecting our commitment to provide a secure and efficient networking transformation for your agency.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

Today, we commemorate World Day of Social Justice and honor those across the globe who stand for the equitable access to opportunities within societies where individuals’ rights are recognized and… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Today, we commemorate World Day of Social Justice and honor those across the globe who stand for the equitable access to opportunities within societies where individuals’ rights are recognized and protected. 

I have the distinct honor of leading the Social Justice work here at Cisco (even writing that gives me chills). I am as proud of my company for making such a commitment to this cause as I am of my team of colleagues, customers, suppliers, and partners that work together to make this body of work come alive. I am also struck by the need to help frame social justice in a way that resonates globally. 

Understanding social justice from a broader perspective 

Over the course of my involvement in this work, I have spent equal parts of my time doing the work and learning about social justice both as a set of practices and as an ideal. Most of my exposure to the topic had come from my own history in civil rights and political activism, life experience (there were still partially segregated school districts in my home state when I attended elementary school), and reading authors/thought leaders like Howard Zinn, David Walker, Michelle Alexander, Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. duBois.  

While their writing examined social justice through an anti-racist lens, I noticed common themes as I started to look at social justice from a broader perspective.  

Access: all people having equal access to resources such as healthcare, education, and employment.
Equity: providing resources to people that are proportionate to what they need in order to thrive.
Participation: involving people in the decisions that govern their lives.
Human Rights: ensuring the civil, political, economic, cultural, and social rights of all people are protected and valued equally. 

These themes provide a framework for how we can expand our perspective around social justice. Words and their definitions matter. Framing social justice as access, equity, participation, and human rights allows us to transcend the notion that social justice is simply about race.  

Origins and early themes in social justice 

In my research, I found there were themes around social justice that go all the way back to philosophers like Plato, Thomas Aquinas and Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke. There is also a strong current of social justice in many of the world’s major religions. 

One of the earliest thinkers in this space was Luigi Taparelli, who was an advisor to the Vatican in 1840. He believed society should not be seen as a monolith, but as a collective of different groups, all of which have rights that needed to be recognized. He is generally credited as the first to use the phrase “social justice” and saw it as an economic and class issue as opposed to a racial one. 

The UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 

Building on this foundation in part led to the UN Charter in 1945 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 which focused on political, civil, social, and economic rights. As many African nations were still under colonial rule at this time, they had limited input to the Declaration.   

While this was problematic for a number of reasons, it does explain the anti-racist focus of many social justice programs and initiatives that would come later and how race played a key role in the access to those rights. The UN would start to use the term “social justice” heavily in the 1960s, and much of the work of the modern Civil Rights movement and much of the work around affirmative action and later diversity and inclusion efforts seemed to focus in this area. 

The global perspective and Cisco’s journey for social justice 

As we continue the work of social justice here at Cisco, we know that many corporations have rolled back some initiatives that were receiving support just a few years ago. This trend is happening across the globe and underpins what history has already shown us—social justice is global. 

Just as the UN believes that social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations, Cisco believes that social justice is integral to our purpose to power an inclusive future for all. 

A global perspective will inform us – and empower us – as we move forward in our social justice journey. Our focus is on access, equity, participation, and human rights. For all. 

Words matter. We can choose the ones that shape us. Inspire us. And propel us forward. We can choose to use words as an avenue to bring more people into the fold. Build new bridges. And speak from a broader perspective.  

Discover more about the United Nations World Day of Social Justice and Cisco’s Social Justice Beliefs and Actions.

"}]]  Today, we commemorate World Day of Social Justice and honor those across the globe who stand for the equitable access to opportunities within societies where individuals’ rights are recognized and protected.  I have the distinct honor of leading the Social Justice work here at Cisco (even writing that gives me chills). I am as proud  Read More Cisco Blogs