Intelligent power management company Eaton announced its latest innovation in connected backup power and cybersecurity with the North American launch of its Gigabit Network Card (Network-M3).
The Network-M3 card features all the enhanced capabilities customers expect from Eaton Gigabit Network Card technology and adds new features to help organizations meet their unique cybersecurity needs. With capabilities for web-based monitoring and alerts, the Network-M3 card provides insights into IT power usage, reshaping the way IT teams monitor and control their power systems as security needs evolve.
“As IT managers continue to embrace enhanced connectivity and increase the number of smart devices on their network, they face more opportunities for cyber threats,” said James Martin, global connectivity product manager, Eaton. “We’ve designed the Network-M3 card to offer enhanced protection against cyberattacks while also providing the comprehensive power management needed to boost performance.”
Cybersecurity continues to be a growing threat across the globe, with the risk of attack rising as the number of connected devices IoT devices is expected to grow to more than 41.6 billion by 2025. According to IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average global cost of a data breach in 2023 was $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years, making it imperative that IT managers leverage connected infrastructure designed with the highest levels of cybersecurity protection.
With its secure boot process, user-configurable firewall and zero-touch provisioning, the Network-M3 card can easily detect intrusions and ensure a high level of security and reliability for uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and power distribution units (PDUs). As the only network card on the market with UL 2900-1 and IEC 62443-4-2 cybersecurity certifications, the Network-M3 card simplifies the management and security of critical infrastructure by providing a flexible cybersecurity solution that can authenticate any attached firmware, preventing a cyberattack from spreading when a threat exists.
Features of the Network-M3 card include:
- Chain-of-trust encryption and secure firmware boot capability, preventing the Gigabit Network Card from being a cyberattack vulnerability point on a network, with firmware updates available at no cost to the user
- User-configurable firewall that provides an additional layer of security to protect the Gigabit Network Card and the UPS or PDU from unauthorized access and cyberattacks
- Remote storage of security keys, making the device tamper-resistant even in cases of physical breaches
- Zero-touch provisioning and auto-configuration commissions devices faster to save time in large-scale deployments
- Support of 10/100/1000 Mbps for diverse compatibility
- Certificate manager for easy creation and distribution of digital certificates to multiple devices
In addition to built-in web-based monitoring capabilities and alerts, the Network-M3 card can integrate with the software in Eaton’s Brightlayer Data Centers suite, empowering IT teams to streamline operations and prepare for future needs.
The harmony between hardware and software delivers an array of automation capabilities and remote management functionality, reducing response times to power issues and ensuring timely updates that bolster cybersecurity defenses.
Additionally, the card seamlessly integrates with Eaton’s cloud-based remote monitoring service that aggregates data from Eaton UPSs and dispatches an Eaton field technician when critical events occur.
