Summary

The Edge is a vulnerable space – unprotected by the strengths of physical controls we associate with and rely on in enterprise and Cloud data centers. Far Edge equipment is provisioned in the presence of people – both workers and customers – with little or no IT experience. Anyone can access these machines and can either accidentally or maliciously disrupt their intended functionality. Network attachments can be tampered with in uncontrolled ways that are hard to predict and difficult to prevent.

Nonetheless, these concerns should not detract from the real value that Edge computing brings to enhancing user experiences, protecting personal and private customer information, maintaining resiliency, and providing operational efficiency. Instead, we must leverage the benefits that robust deployment systems, such as Open Horizon, offer to help manage and mitigate security exposures that exist at the Edge.

In this chapter, we have outlined the key vulnerabilities...