Tenable smart building security flow architecture using open source tools

Abstract

Nowadays it’s rare to find newly opened buildings or under construction sites that don’t aspire to be “smart” or “intelligent”. There are wired systems through the building that offer the basic infrastructure for VoIP systems, TCP/IP communication, IP or CCTV cameras, systems that require low latency and great amounts of bandwidth. Complementary to these systems, we also find a variety of wireless devices, from data collection sensors to access points, environmental panels or light control systems. Buildings today are certainly “smarter” and more power efficient than they were five or ten years ago, and all these new devices, that comprise the Internet of Things (IoT) category, pose new issues to all building managers: securing and enforcing digital policies to all these IoT nodes and devices. This paper focuses on building a “vendor neutral” security architecture, based on open source tools, suitable for a wide range of scenarios and building types: school campuses, small or home offices, small building shops, etc. The proposed system architecture is described, together with a preliminary evaluation of the prototype system.