The time server blog
Discover articles about the time server and time synchronisation
In addition to displaying the time, a railway station or an underground station must distribute a reliable, accurate and secure time to all its equipment.
Indeed, an accurate time allows the railway network to operate correctly: orchestrating departures and arrivals, anticipating delays, informing passengers, and so on. A single time reference must be deployed across all the IT network to synchronise all equipment: clocks, computers, ticket machines, video surveillance systems, radio communications and telephones. In order to meet this need, railway stations and underground stations are being equipped with time servers and specific clocks.
As defined in the IEEE-1588 standard, Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a highly accurate method to synchronise computers over a Local Area Network (LAN). A Network Time Server using PTP is commonly referred to as an ‘IEEE-1588 Grandmaster’ or ’PTP Grandmaster’.
Unlike multi-application devices or typical servers, Network Time Servers are designed to serve one specific purpose: the continuous and precise synchronisation of time across your network.
The following steps are those which are recommended to increase security for a Netsilon Time Server operating behind a firewall on a private network.
Network Time Protocol (NTP) is widely used in LANs (Local Area Network) and WANs (Wide Area Network) to synchronize computer clocks to standard time. NTP sets up a reference server within the network to deliver accurate time to all NTP clients requesting it.
Bodet provides full NTP system solutions including NTP time servers and NTP analogue and digital clock displays.
To most people, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites are something vague that fly around the earth. As long as they function correctly, who cares which ones we use for tasks like positioning and timing?
Not all systems are the same, and when it comes to business use, it's important to understand the differences.
An access control system is an essential feature of any modern security system. Without accurate time stamps, however, access control logs cannot be reliably used for event reconstruction or other legal purposes. Therefore, it is essential to use a system that delivers accurate time stamping. Unfortunately, many systems rely on clocks that have the tendency to drift and gradually move away from the actual current time. By understanding how time stamping works and how to use it properly, organisations can more effectively protect themselves.
One of the oldest internet communication protocols still in use today, NTP enables time synchronization across network devices. Despite being a critical part of many computer processes, it’s very easy to overlook. The goal of NTP is to synchronize computers with respect to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
The number of attacks against computer networks has increased during the pandemic, and it’s important to remember that NTP (Network Time Protocol) is often targeted by hackers as a potential vulnerability. As your business might be at risk, understanding the issue is key to avoiding the damage these attacks can cause to your services.
Without Network Time Protocol (NTP), it would be impossible to synchronize time across networked devices. However, more and more cyberattacks continue to target NTP as a potential vulnerability in network security. If you haven’t previously given it any thought, it’s critical you review how to secure this vital service against any external attack.