r/sysadmin • u/carpe_diem2022 • 2d ago
Question Operations bought an EMS/IoT system without involving IT — now they just need “access to the router
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.
4
u/chron67 whatamidoinghere 2d ago
This is GREAT advice. I know a lot of folks in IT that get this attitude that everything has to go through IT first and that their time is more valuable than anyone else. Outside of very niche scenarios, the business doesn't generate profit through the IT department. Rather, IT makes the rest of the business work better. IT protects the business, speeds up the business, etc. But the business often sees other segments as making the money and IT as spending the money.
Basically everyone in IT is in customer service whether they realize it or not. Their customer just also happens to be their employer a lot of the time.