Secure remote access during commissioning

System integrators and machine builders increasingly rely on remote experts to configure, test and commission installed equipment, often before the site's permanent network, firewalls and remote-access infrastructure exist. Hardware-based, out-of-band access closes that gap.

The challenge: Accessing equipment before the network and its security controls exist

During commissioning, equipment is installed and powered but whether it is a greenfield or brownfield installation, the machines are likely to be installed before the local network or network segment is complete.

No production firewall is configured; no standardised remote access solution is in place and often no reliable and isolated internet uplink. Yet this is exactly when suppliers and integrators need hands-on access to configure parameters, load firmware, and run diagnostics.

• No fixed remote-access solution or trusted connectivity is available during commissioning.

• Pressure to open temporary, unsecured connections; mobile routers, ad-hoc software VPNs, or shared internet connections that widen the attack surface.

• Cybersecurity and compliance requirements such as NIS2 and IEC 62443 apply from day one, not only once the system goes live.
  

The solution: Hardware-based, out-of-band access that needs no existing network

The Advenica Remote Access Device is a portable, plug-and-play device that brings its own secure connectivity and a hardware-enforced access path to any equipment, without relying on the site’s not-yet-built network. 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 the equipment is never exposed to the internet. The endpoint stays offline throughout the session, while an authenticated user works through an encrypted, brokered channel.

• Out-of-band connectivity through built-in LTE – no dependency on the site’s permanent network or internet uplink.

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

• The equipment is never exposed to the internet: no internet connection is shared with it.

• KVM or serial console access to a specific endpoint (in-browser), or scoped IP access to a specified subnet via direct tunnelling.

• Works before the network or an operating system is in place: set up brand-new equipment remotely at console level, with nothing installed on it.
  

The outcome: Secure, efficient commissioning from day one

Hardware-based, out-of-band access lets commissioning proceed on its own schedule while keeping security intact from the first session. Turning the riskiest phase of a system’s life into a controlled, auditable one.

• Commissioning proceeds on schedule, without waiting for the permanent network or remote-access infrastructure.

• A reduced attack surface – no temporary insecure connections, and no internet connection is shared with the endpoint.

• Lower cost and faster delivery by giving offsite suppliers and experts secure hands-on access instead of travelling to  site.

• Remote access that maps to NIS2 and IEC 62443 requirements from the first session.