In today's digital age, ensuring the security of your business assets is of paramount importance. With the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, safeguarding your network, devices, and applications against potential vulnerabilities is a complex challenge -- and that's why we've built our Sentinel platform with security at the top of our minds.
In this blog post, we will explore the key benefits of Sentinel, which includes three fundamental layers of protection: Network Security, Device Security, and Anomaly Detection. We will also delve into how deep analytics and artificial intelligence further enhance the security measures and how these features empower businesses to protect their sensitive data effectively. And be sure to watch the video below with Kajeet's Chief Technical Officer, Greg Jones, talking about Sentinel and cybersecurity!
Network Security in Sentinel
DirectAccess: Keeping Devices Hidden
One of the primary concerns in cybersecurity is keeping certain devices hidden from the prying eyes of the internet. Sentinel addresses this concern with a feature called DirectAccess. There are various use cases where our customers may not want their devices to be visible on the internet at large, and in such instances they can employ a private IP address that is discoverable only through Sentinel. This effectively makes the device invisible to the public internet. To access these devices, one must go through one of Kajeet's secure VPN tunnels.
The analogy here is similar to how the post office can't deliver mail to an address that is unknown -- so even if the bad guys wanted to send you some junk mail, they will not know where to send it. Similarly, because hackers can't attack what they can't see, DirectAccess ensures that your devices remain hidden from potential threats on the internet, providing an extra layer of security.
SecureRoute™ in Sentinel
Kajeet's SecureRoute™ is another powerful component of Sentinel. It routes all network traffic through its proprietary network, where it can be analyzed and managed in real time. This feature is instrumental in enabling businesses to apply policies for content blocking, time-of-day controls, and managing endpoint connections, among other security measures.
SecureRoute benefits:
- Block malicious websites and apps: SecureRoute can be used to block malicious websites and apps that could infect devices or steal data. This can help to protect employees from phishing scams and other online threats.
- Set time-of-day restrictions: SecureRoute can be used to set time-of-day restrictions on device usage. This can help to prevent employees from using devices for personal purposes during work hours, or from accessing sensitive data at unauthorized times.
- Manage endpoint connections: SecureRoute can be used to manage endpoint connections to the network. This includes the ability to whitelist and blacklist devices, and to set permissions for different types of devices. This can help to prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the network, and to ensure that all devices are properly configured.
- Respond to threats in real time: SecureRoute's real-time analysis capabilities allow organizations to quickly identify and respond to security threats. For example, if SecureRoute detects a device that is infected with malware, it can automatically isolate the device from the network and prevent it from spreading the infection to other devices.
Anomaly Detection: Staying One Step Ahead
Anomaly detection is a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity. Cyberattackers are continually evolving their techniques, making it nearly impossible to block every incident. Therefore, the best approach is to look for abnormal patterns. For example, if the number of MAC IDs of devices connecting to a router, such as one controlling EV charging stations, suddenly increases significantly beyond a standard deviation, that should trigger an alert to the business.
Sentinel helps your business stay one step ahead of potential threats by detecting anomalies and flagging them in real time. This proactive approach to cybersecurity is vital in the ever-changing threat landscape.
Analytics and Alerts
Network security is crucial, but equally important is securing the devices themselves. Sentinel provides robust measures to ensure the integrity and safety of your devices.
Deep Analytics and Insights
One of the standout features of Sentinel is the capability to leverage deep analytics using Sentinel Insights dashboards. This empowers businesses with a comprehensive view of their network and devices, allowing them to make informed decisions about their security. Sentinel has implemented the concept of "device categories," which enables businesses to define what is considered normal for specific groups of devices in their specific business conditions.
By grouping devices with similar attributes and deep diving into the analytics, businesses can gain a detailed understanding of their network's behavior. For instance, if you have a fleet of smart buses, you can create a cohort of those devices to analyze specific patterns of use, such as content usage, geolocation, and network performance.
This level of granularity in analyzing device behavior not only enhances security but also provides valuable insights into your operations.
Customer Alerts: Tailoring Security to Your Business
No two businesses are exactly alike. We at Kajeet acknowledge this, and built Sentinel to account for it. That's why Sentinel offers the flexibility to create custom alerts tailored to your specific needs. By building customer alerts, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of what constitutes normal and abnormal behavior in the context of their operations.
For example, if you operate a fleet of smart buses, you can expect certain behavior during the school year, such as kids getting on and off the bus during specific hours. By setting up alerts that flag any unusual activity outside of these hours, you can quickly identify potential security threats. These alerts can be further customized to meet your unique business requirements, allowing you to adapt your security measures as your business evolves.
Artificial Intelligence in Security
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity cannot be overstated. In today's landscape, cyber attackers are equipped with advanced tools and techniques, making it essential for businesses to use AI to defend against these threats. Sentinel leverages AI in multiple ways to enhance security.
The Sentinel Firewall
AI and machine learning are baked into Sentinel's firewall. It analyzes all incoming network traffic, looks for suspicious activity, and is aware of current attack vectors that are seen in the wild -- stopping probes or attacks from getting past the firewall. It also intelligently learns from suspicious activities and new threats, making the firewall perpetually smarter and easing the reliance on humans to have to identify and combat threats on their own.
Even should a hacker get past the firewall, they will be faced with another cybersecurity layer: Sentinel's unsupervised ML model that works to identify and flag questionable activity.
Unsupervised Anomaly Detection
To combat the constantly changing tactics of cyber attackers, the platform utilizes unsupervised anomaly detection. This approach allows the system to identify subtle changes that may not be immediately apparent to a human observer. It's similar to how AI models like ChatGPT can generate answers for a wide range of scenarios; Sentinel uses AI to consider every possible scenario and identify potential anomalies.
When the system detects an anomaly, it can then determine whether to defend against it or ignore it. This automated process ensures that even subtle changes in behavior are flagged and evaluated promptly.
Example Use Case: Applications in Healthcare
Unsupervised anomaly detection becomes especially valuable in sensitive industries like healthcare. For instance, the platform is used in telehealth and remote patient monitoring, where it helps collect and analyze data about patients. Consider a scenario where a diabetic patient uses a tablet or laptop connected to various Bluetooth devices like blood pressure cuffs and smart scales. During this process, the system can detect anomalies, such as an unusual increase in data transmission from a specific medical device to multiple IP addresses.
These anomalies might indicate an attempt to compromise the device, and the system can flag them for further investigation. In healthcare, where patient data security is paramount, this level of proactive security is indispensable. (And while we're on the healthcare topic, Kajeet does not collect Personally Identifiable Information, PII -- ever.)
Final Thoughts
In an age where cyber threats are constantly evolving, businesses need robust cybersecurity solutions to protect their digital assets. Sentinel offers a multi-layered approach to safeguard your network, devices, and applications. By combining features like DirectAccess, SecureRoute, anomaly detection, deep analytics, customer alerts, and artificial intelligence, businesses can stay one step ahead of potential security threats.
As businesses continue to adapt and grow, the flexibility of the platform in customizing security measures to specific business conditions ensures that your protection evolves with you. With Sentinel, businesses can rest assured that their cybersecurity is in capable hands, ready to defend against the ever-changing threat landscape.
Don't wait until a cyberattack occurs – fortify your defenses with Sentinel and safeguard your digital future. Want to learn more about Sentinel?
