You need to securely share content beyond the NOC or SOC ? You can with Barco

Due to the nature of the information they handle, Network Operations Centers (NOC) and Security Operations Centers (SOC) need to be very careful about sharing information with remote stakeholders. On the other hand, remote access to content has some serious business advantages. But isn't it dangerous to share content outside the NOC and SOC walls? Not if you do it right, with Barco.

Whether they are operating as an in-house or third-party service, NOCs and SOCs are responsible for watching over the (cyber-)security of a business. Obviously, this imposes serious restrictions on sharing information beyond the control room. If preserving cybersecurity or physical security is your main mission, then every line of communication should be inherently secure. For NOCs and SOCs, it's critical not to expose any piece of information to criminals, hackers or other remote parties with bad intentions.

On the other hand, remote access to NOC or SOC content has many advantages. It can give experts faster access to critical content wherever they are, and as a result, critical decisions can be made faster. The expectations of today's NOC and SOC workforce are there, influenced by what is possible in the everyday world. In their role of consumer, they can literally view and interact with content through their mobiles, tablets or laptops anywhere and anytime. So, it's not surprising that they too expect easy access to sources wherever they are.

Secure remote access

Fortunately, control room managers have options when they want to enable secure access to content to remote users. Meet Barco's SecureStream, a media streaming solution that makes sharing content from the control room to external stakeholders (and vice versa) easy and secure. SecureStream is seamlessly embedded in Barco's networked visualization and collaboration solutions, and it offers an intuitive interface for control room operators to drag and drop video or data sources into a channel that can be pushed to field staff or external experts.

The good thing is that SecureStream does not stream the actual data, but a video stream containing the necessary information. In other words: only pixels, no data. In addition, capturing those pixels is a unidirectional operation, which makes it impossible for hackers to obtain access to the secure network. That makes SecureStream an ideal solution for remote NOC or SOC workers.

Increasing team work

There are different reasons why NOCs or SOCs would want to share content beyond the facility. one of those reasons is increasing team work with remote team members. Remote connections and teamwork are not uniquely challenging for NOCs or SOCs, but in both environments, the stakes may be higher. Confusion between remote team members can easily lead to misjudgment during incidents or technical bloopers, which in turn could lead to downtime and soaring costs.

With Barco's SecureStream, a NOC analysist can easily share additional information with a remote technician to help him complete a critical repair much faster. In the case of a SOC, an operator could share a video feed with a security guard to allow him to better asses a dangerous situation or environment. With SecureStream, communication can also run in both ways, allowing remote experts to send valuable information back to the control room.

Facilitating home office

The last couple of years, home office has become a granted right in many businesses. In NOC and SOC organizations, this may be a bit more challenging. Due to the nature of information handled there, physical and cyber-security need to be taken into account in every step of the way. In fact, all security standards and procedures applied in a normal NOC or SOC environment, should also be adhered to in a home office, and analysts' devices and sources should be very carefully configured and secured.

With Barco's SecureStream, it's now possible to share perspectives with up to four critical sources with home office based analysts, and at the same time comply with the highest possible security standards that are required in a NOC or SOC.

Make secure remote access happen

Not sure how to make secure remote access a reality for your NOC or SOC? Then discover our control room solutions for NOCs and SOCs or get in touch with a Barco expert.