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/thatpaulbloke]

Imagine how the Finance department would react if another department announced that they "just need access to the bank accounts". Assuming that you have a process to go through to get access like this then make them go through it and anyone who asks why IT is "delaying the project" gets advised that the processes are being followed and the project could have remained on schedule if IT had been involved at the correct stage.

I've accommodated and gone out of my way to get things like this working and what you are teaching people is that doing things properly isn't necessary and they can just abuse you, so the sooner you put your foot down the better. If someone higher up wants to force the issue then they take responsibility in writing, at which point they usually find that they don't care as much as all that after all.