Secure machine updates and remote support in OT environments

Machines and industrial equipment need software updates while opening the production network to outside vendors can be an unacceptable risk. In addition, sending specialists to site is both slow and expensive.

The challenge: Remote support without exposing the production network

Once equipment is running in a live OT environment it rarely stands still for long. Controllers need firmware updates, machines need parameter changes, and something inevitably needs expert diagnosis at short notice. The specialists who can do this work, usually the equipment supplier or OEM, work off-site, and production cannot be paused to wait for them.

The instinct is to bridge the gap with connectivity through a temporary VPN, LTE-router or a firewall rule. But OT networks are isolated for good reason, and each of these routes exposes live, safety-critical equipment to the internet and widens the attack surface while the plant is in live production.

• Equipment supplier and OEM specialists are offsite, making every support visit slow and costly.

• Production uptime is critical – updates and diagnostics cannot always wait for a scheduled maintenance window.

• The OT network is deliberately isolated, so vendor VPNs or mobile modems expose live equipment and widen the attack surface.

The solution: Ad hoc hardware-based remote access to equipment

The Advenica Remote Access Device is a portable, plug-and-play device that brings its own secure connectivity and a hardware-enforced zero-trust access path to any machine, without connecting that machine to the site network or the internet. On-site staff simply connect it to the machine/equipment, via HDMI/USB for KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse), or Ethernet/serial for network and console access.

Access is granted per session and enforced in hardware. When the supplier's own engineering software must reach the machine, direct tunnelling gives scoped IP access to the specific machine or subnet. When the tools run on a computer or HMI on site, the supplier gets in-browser KVM access to it. Throughout, the equipment stays off the internet and every session is fully logged.

For even more control opt for the attended version of the Remote Access Device. This version requires a person at site to press the device button to receive the One Time Password (OTP) that is needed for the remote user to be able to establish the connection.

• Out-of-band connectivity through built-in LTE – no dependency on the OT network or a shared internet uplink.

• Hardware-based zero-trust access with per-session authorisation, multi-factor authentication, least privilege, and full audit logging.

• The site owner decides who gets access, to what and for how long; unattended sessions are time-limited and every session is logged to a named person.

• The serviced equipment is never exposed to the internet: no internet connection is shared with it, so the OT network remains isolated.

• Direct tunnelling to a specific machine or subnet, or in-browser KVM access to an HMI or computer.

• True plug-and-play: no software or agent is installed on the equipment, and the device deploys in minutes.

The outcome: Updates and support without downtime or added risk

Ad-hoc, hardware-based access lets suppliers support and update equipment remotely without putting the OT network at risk. Keeping production running and the OT network isolated and turning occasional (but crucial) remote support into a controlled, auditable process.

• Faster updates and support, with no waiting for a technician to travel to site.

• Uptime is protected – equipment is serviced without connecting the production network to the internet.

•  A reduced attack surface, with no permanent vendor VPN or standing remote-access path into OT.

•  Security and compliance are maintained throughout operations, support, and maintenance.