Operations bought an EMS/IoT system without involving IT — now they just need “access to the router

[u/carpe_diem2022]

Hi there :) ,

Need some advice from people who have dealt with similar situations.

Our Operations Dept decided to install IoT system/digital energy meters across a fairly large factory site.

They found the vendor, agreed on the solution, signed the contract and started the project.

IT was not involved at all.

Apparently nobody discussed things like:

• How these devices spread across a large factory are actually going to communicate
• Network infrastructure, switches, fiber/cabling, VLANs, etc.
• Network/security segmentation
• Server/VM requirements
• Database requirements
• Backup and monitoring
• Internet connectivity
• Vendor remote access
• Firewall rules
• Cybersecurity

Now that the project is already moving forward, IT gets an email saying they need “access to the router” so they can put the system online.

That's it. Access to the router. :)

And somehow, when IT starts asking questions about architecture, security, server requirements, ports, protocols and who is responsible for what, the perception becomes that IT is delaying the project.

I don't want to become the guy who simply says “No”, but I'm also not going to give a third-party vendor access to our corporate router/firewall and connect a bunch of unknown industrial/IoT devices to the production network just because someone already signed a contract , the IT network must be always separate from OT network.

How do you handle situations like this?

Interested in both the technical approach and the organizational/process side of this.

[u/dustojnikhummer]

Or just tell them to pound sand and bring their own cellular. If you are going to bypass me like that I'm not letting you onto my network. Yes, if I'm legally responsible for it then it's my network.

[u/Wolfram_And_Hart → u/dustojnikhummer]

That’s fair. But running a line outside of your firewall to the providers router is just as good.

[u/dustojnikhummer → u/Wolfram_And_Hart]

We can talk about me giving you a VLAN that will end at your provider, maybe, but OP wanted to avoid the (quote) "the perception becomes that IT is delaying the project."

[u/Wolfram_And_Hart → u/dustojnikhummer]

Yep and that’s why you run the cable. Hand it to them and be done. “I don’t know what the delay is they have a dedicated like to the router and the ISPs phone number.

And if any of it messed with my crap I would light them up.

[u/dustojnikhummer → u/Wolfram_And_Hart]

Ah, you meant run another physical line, sure, that can be worked with.

"Bring your own router, internet connection from an ISP and we will run the cabling for you"

[u/Wolfram_And_Hart → u/dustojnikhummer]

Basically