10G TECHNOLOGY
CableLabs® Micronets
As more smart devices are added to home and business networks, an easy-to-use platform to manage these devices and keep information secure is imperative. Introducing CableLabs Micronets, a next-generation on-premises network management system providing enterprise-level security that’s highly adaptive and effortless. No matter how complex the network,
Micronets has it covered.
What is CableLabs Micronets?
CableLabs Micronets is a next-generation on-premises network management system that provides highly adaptive and effortless enterprise-level security for home and small business networks using the latest Software Defined Networking (SDN), AI and machine learning technologies. Like a personal network security guard, it manages all of the user’s devices and connections, monitors traffic flow and autonomously addresses security vulnerabilities. Hackers never had it tougher.
Why do we need CableLabs Micronets?
As more smart devices are added to the network, its flat structure and questionable device security protocols make it extremely vulnerable to cyber threats. If one device is hacked, the whole network can be compromised in seconds, leading to data theft, sabotage or worse. Micronets restructures it in a smarter way, using multiple levels of network security such as network segmentation, secure network extension and advanced security services to immediately isolate and take care of a problem before it affects the rest of the network.
SDN: Micronets' Security Guard
SDN establishes the foundation for a new security experience through three basic capabilities: network segmentation, secure network extension and advanced security services.
The Micronets platform redesigns home and business networks into multiple dynamically managed networks or micronets. By organizing all the networked devices into multiple micronets, the system can effectively isolate any security threats and prevent them from damaging the entire network. For example, if a baby monitor gets hacked because of an unsecure port, the attackers will not be able to get easy access to the devices in other Micronets, such as a home security system or family computer.
The future of IoT is moving toward a plethora of personal sensors, actuators and processors that maintain constant connection to a third party. For example, there are glucose testers that send results to a family doctor or a hospital for round-the-clock monitoring. Micronets provides application interfaces to trusted third parties that simplifies and protects the device and user. Once the customer takes the device home, it automatically joins his or her home network (with permission, of course) and securely connects to the third-party provider.
Security threats continuously evolve as new vulnerabilities and new hacking tools are discovered. A security solution that worked last year might not be as effective today. By leveraging adaptable security technologies, such as device fingerprinting, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning–based anomaly detection, Micronets protects the user’s network by isolating compromised devices. Micronets also leverages stronger device credentials to ensure that devices are authenticated as and when they connect to the network.
What problems are we solving?
Micronets is just one part of CableLabs’ larger effort to advance cybersecurity measures across the industry. To fully address the constantly evolving threats to our networks, we are taking a multifaceted approach comprised of mitigation and prevention tactics. On the mitigation side, we are working on advancing compromised-device detection, DDoS monitoring, IP-address spoofing prevention and other cable-based technologies. On the prevention side, we’re actively contributing our device security expertise to Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), an industry-wide effort to develop an open IoT specification standard, and open-source initiatives like IoTivity.
Related Resources
Document
The CableLabs Micronets Whitepaper