Introduction

Cyberattacks are not only directed against IT systems in public authorities and companies. In times of increasing digitalization and networking of production environments with the Internet (IIoT), the threat situation is also intensifying in these areas. This increases the need for state-of-the-art hardware and software to protect operation technology (OT) against unwanted intruders.

As an OEM, we have created an IoT gateway in the classic 19″ rack format for our customer abtis for use in industrial environments and critical infrastructures.

The company offers an agentless monitoring concept for OT systems as SOC as a Service (SOCaaS). Our hardware is an important part of the solution as a platform for the Microsoft Defender for IoT security appliance.

Under the name abtis OT-Security Box, the server acts as an interface from the OT networks of computers, machines and sensors to the cloud computing platforms (e.g. MS Azure and VMWare) of their operators.

The main task of the box is to collect data from IoT devices, check it for malicious code and pass it on to the cloud services in a filtered form.

Made in Germany: development, production, services

As an expert in cyber security, abtis is one of the most trusted providers of IT security worldwide. The company is a member of the Your.Cloud family - one of the leading MSP (Managed Service Provider) platforms in Europe.

For its OT-Security Box, abtis was looking for an OEM that was flexible, had sufficient expertise in the development of IT hardware and produced it in Germany. abtis found what it was looking for in Pyramid Computer GmbH, which has been supplying its customers with specific industrial PCs and server solutions for 40 years.

Pyramid relies on modular platforms as the technological foundation for OEM solutions. These are in-house developments that we modify according to the individual requirements of a use case. This enables us to achieve a fast time-to-market for our customers with tailor-made, high-quality and cost-efficient products.

The abtis OT-Security Box is based on our 19″ VarioFlex server platform. As abtis attaches great importance to a high-performance yet energy-efficient IoT gateway, we use a 14th generation Intel® Core™ i7 TE processor. In addition, its low waste heat allows active cooling to be dispensed with, so that the entire system fits into a 1U high chassis.

Space is a critical factor in almost every factory hall and in every server cabinet. That is why we have given the abtis OT-Security Box an installation depth of just 300 mm. This means maximum utilization of the available resources when installed directly on the machine or in the electronics cabinet.

The chassis of the IoT gateway is also optimized for industrial environments. The powder coating gives it a high level of corrosion protection, good electrical insulation properties and additional stability against mechanical loads.

We produce the abtis OT-Security Box made in Germany. It is produced in Pyramid factory in Ichtershausen, Thuringia. This is where the systems are assembled and the software images are installed.