Unidirectional network

A unidirectional network (also referred to as a unidirectional gateway or data diode) is a network appliance or device that allows data to travel in only one direction. Data diodes can be found most commonly in high security environments, such as defense, where they serve as connections between two or more networks of differing security classifications. Given the rise of Industrial IoT and Digitization, this technology can now be found at the industrial control level for such facilities as nuclear power plants, power generation and safety critical systems like railway networks. A unidirectional network (also referred to as a unidirectional gateway or data diode) is a network appliance or device that allows data to travel in only one direction. Data diodes can be found most commonly in high security environments, such as defense, where they serve as connections between two or more networks of differing security classifications. Given the rise of Industrial IoT and Digitization, this technology can now be found at the industrial control level for such facilities as nuclear power plants, power generation and safety critical systems like railway networks. After years of development the use of data diodes have increased creating two variations: Data diodes are commonly found in high security military and government environments, and are now becoming widely spread in sectors like Oil & Gas, water/wastewater, airplanes (between flight control units and in-flight entertainment systems), manufacturing and cloud connectivity for Industrial IoT. New regulations have increased demand and with increased capacity, major technology vendors have lowered the cost of the core technology. The first data diodes were developed by governmental organizations in the eighties and nineties. Because these organizations work with confidential information, making sure their network is secure is of the highest priority. Primary solutions used by these organizations were air gaps. But, as the amount of transferable data increased, and a continuous and real-time data stream became more important, these organizations had to look for an automated solution.