Click the link below for a download of this detailed document providing information about the SoniCloud Platform
1. Sonicu Overview
Sonicu, a leader in wireless monitoring technology, offers a scalable environmental monitoring platform built for regulatory compliance. Sonicu partners with hundreds of organizations across the country, including many leading hospitals, manufacturing companies, universities, distribution, pharmaceutical, and research companies, that rely on Sonicu to help safely store vaccines, drugs, food, and valuable research materials. Sonicu offers a wide array of monitoring applications including temperature, humidity, pressure, sound, and custom IoT applications for organizations across a broad spectrum of industries.
Specific to the platform are wireless meters for temperature, humidity, air pressure, sound levels, and a host of other applications that transmit data via WiFi, Ethernet, or Cellular to SoniCloud, our cloud-hosted monitoring platform. SoniCloud is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) US East, which is a FedRAMP-authorized system. AWS provides multi-regional failover, security controls and maintains continuous platform monitoring.
SoniCloud is a SaaS-based platform that requires no server or software maintenance by the client. Sonicu periodically updates SoniCloud, allowing clients to benefit from the most recent system improvements.
2. Protected Health Information (PHI) and HIPAA Statement
Sonicu monitors and records environmental data such as the temperature of cold storage equipment, room temperature, humidity, sound, air pressure, etc. This is the only data that is transmitted to AWS. To that end, there is no PHI or other HIPAA-related information transmitted by Sonicu devices.
3. System Access and User Credentialing
Clients access the SoniCloud platform by logging into the website at https://www.sonicumonitoring.com. This website can be accessed on desktops, laptops, IOS, and Android tablet and phone devices. Users log in with their own unique credentials and are limited to the sites and areas determined by the admin that are required for their job functions. All user interaction happens within the sonicumonitoring.com domain and subdomains hosted with AWS.
Sonicu credentials users at two levels: Admin and View. Clients may have as many users as needed at either level. Creating users is simple from within SoniCloud’s web-based user interface. Admin-level users can create, edit, and remove users as needed. Both Admin & View Users may choose to receive alarm notifications via text, email, phone calls, or a combination of these. All user notifications follow an audit trail for documentation and compliance.
Several reports, including VFC mandatory regulatory compliance reports and device summary reports, are available to users on-demand by logging into the system. Users can also elect to receive auto-generated reports via email at daily, weekly, or monthly intervals.
Sonicu’s password policy system is configurable and includes the ability to force password minimum length as well as password complexity (requiring numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters, symbols, passwords cannot match previous passwords, etc.) Sonicu also has a client-configurable password reset feature that requires passwords to be reset on a client-defined interval of days. All passwords in the Sonicu system are salted and stored encrypted (via the Blowfish encryption cipher) in the Sonicu database, ensuring that passwords are secure and cannot be easily decrypted in the unlikely event of a data breach. All clients at the Enterprise 100 subscription level, or greater, have the ability to integrate their internal authentication structure with SoniCloud via SAML SSO. Sonicu highly recommends that clients utilize this feature to ensure parity between client authentication requirements and SoniCloud authentication strategies.
4. Data Transmission and Network Options
Sonicu offers several network options to best meet the client’s security requirements, physical layout, and budget. The table below highlights the Sonicu data transmission options.
4.1. Sensor to Cloud: OFF Your Network
Example: SoniLink Hub to Cellular
Sonicu’s Duo meters sit in the client facility and never use the client’s internal network. Sensor
data is transmitted via Duo meters to a central cellular SoniLink Hub and then to Sonicu’s AWS platform.
Using a LoRaWAN standard for low power, and wide-area (LPWA) networking, SoniLink is an ideal option for clients with one or many Duo meters in one area that shares a single cellular data plan via a hub.
The SoniLink Hub utilizes a cellular modem to send data to SoniCloud. All traffic sent from the cellular modem is encrypted via a VPN and decrypted by Sonicu at AWS, ensuring data remains protected as it travels over the internet.
SoniLink LoRaWAN connectivity provides the longest-range wireless technology on the Sonicu platform and is perfect for customers wanting to ensure an easy setup with reliable wireless technology. SoniLink has the additional benefit of supporting multiple SoniLink Hubs - redundancy can be easily achieved by adding two or more SoniLink Hubs to the client’s facility.
The SoniLink Hub utilizes a cellular modem to send data to SoniCloud. All SoniLink traffic is encrypted using symmetric key AES-128 cryptography, ensuring that all traffic is secure between SoniLink and SoniCloud on AWS. As the data is encrypted between the meter and SoniCloud, the SoniLink Hub cannot inspect the data and has no visibility into the data.
Example: CellularMost Sonicu Duo meters can serve both as the meter and a data gateway by using a cellular modem internal to the meter. This is an ideal option for locations that have a small number of meters in each location and want to use a cellular transmission option.
Sonicu’s Duo meters sit in the client facility and never use the client’s internal network. All data sent from the cellular modem is encrypted over a VPN and decrypted by Sonicu at AWS, ensuring data remains protected as it travels over the internet.
Example: SoniLink Hub to Ethernet
Data is transmitted via Duo meters using SoniLink
Hubs that are connected via Ethernet. The hub
utilizes the client network to send data to
SoniCloud.
Using the LoRaWAN standard for low power, and
wide-area (LPWA) networking, SoniLink wirelessly
connects Sonicu sensors and meters to the cloud
platform using a client’s network via Ethernet. This
is an ideal option for clients with many Duo meters
in one area who want to use their network for
data transmission.
SoniLink radios provide the longest-range wireless technology on the Sonicu platform and are perfect for customers wanting to ensure an easy setup with reliable wireless technology. SoniLink
has the additional benefit of supporting multiple SoniLink Hubs -- redundancy can be easily achieved by adding two or more SoniLink Hubs to the client’s facility.Example: WiFi
Sonicu Duo meters can be equipped with WiFiradios configured to communicate with the
Client’s WiFi network. This option allows the client to use an existing WiFi infrastructure to add meters anywhere the WiFi network is accessible. Additional data transmission information can be found in Section 4.5.
Cellular
Sonicu maintains a VPN between Verizon and Amazon Web Services (AWS). A Cellular configuration offers additional advantages in that the system can be fully configured prior to shipping for simple implementation. Sonicu is a Verizon Vertical Partner (VPP) and uses the Verizon 4G LTE network.
SoniLink
A long-range radio with chirp spread spectrum (CSS) and end to end encryption. Used when the client’s internal WiFi network cannot be used, the powerful radio allows for extremely long-distance communication. SoniLink radios can transmit to multiple SoniLink Hubs, adding easy and reliable redundancy to the data transmission to SoniCloud. SoniLink utilizes the US902-928MHz band in North America.
WiFi
Standard 2.4 GHz WiFi with b/g/n network compatibility and WPA2 security as well as (802.1x) WPA2-Enterprise (PEAP-MSCHAPv2)
6. Network Requirements
The following requirements pertain to ALL Sonicu data transmission options (Cellular, WiFi, Ethernet):
Sonicu’s server will send Admin & View user emails from both @sonicu.com and @sonicumonitoring.com addresses. These web addresses should be added to the approved senders’ list.
Web browsers communicate through Sonicu’s SoniCloud monitoring site via www.sonicumonitoring.com. All web assets will come from this address.
Ethernet and WiFi network data transmission options require additional input from your IT department. For these types of networks, Sonicu has a Network Questionnaire that clients complete on SoniCloud. The information below pertains to Sonicu devices that transmit on your network (WiFi or Ethernet).
Required port and connections for Duos and SoniLink Hubs
Sonicu is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its security, redundancy, and scalability. All Sonicu and client data is stored long-term with AWS. Below are some links related to AWS security.
Security - Overview of Amazon's security benefits, including redundancy.
Resources - List of white papers, articles, etc. regarding AWS security.
Fortune Article - Describes the physical security and requirements needed to
access the servers.
Security Whitepaper- PDF detailing security benefits to clients.
FedRAMP - AWS information related to FedRAMP.
8. Device Security
To provide an extremely long battery life, Sonicu uses low-voltage microprocessors with minimal computing ability. Sonicu’s SoniShield devices feature an embedded microprocessor, a 32-bit microcontroller with less than 512KB RAM The extremely small technical capabilities of the microprocessor, combined with a custom firmware solution running on the device, reduces the potential of network attack. Additional technical details can be provided upon request under an NDA.
9. Sonicu Cloud Infrastructure
Sonicu utilizes Amazon Web Services (AWS) technologies to provide reliable, scalable solutions for our clients. Sonicu’s internal AWS network credentials are based upon the principle of least privilege, ensuring that each service can only access what is required. Sonicu uses the AWS Relational Database Service (RDS) to host its MySQL database in multiple regions with duplication and immediate failover to ensure high levels of quality. Sonicu routinely patches its servers on a weekly basis, with any pressing industry-wide security threats (e.g., Heartbleed) being patched as soon as needed. Because the Sonicu platform is web-based, no patches need to be provided to the client directly.
1. Does Sonicu store or transmit any Protected Health Information (PHI)?
Absolutely not. Sonicu monitors and records environmental data such as the temperature of cold storage equipment, room temperature, humidity, sound, air pressure, etc. This is the only data that is transmitted to AWS.
2. Can Sonicu meet our password access control requirements?
Yes! Sonicu has a large range of password control requirements that are configurable. Please see Section 3 for more details.
3. Does Sonicu reside on our local network?
Sonicu software, including the SoniCloud monitoring web interface, is located on AWS, not on the client’s network. Sonicu sensors, DUO meters, and gateways can, if chosen by the client, be located on the client’s network; other options are available to separate Sonicu devices from a client’s network if required.
4. Does Sonicu provide auditing capabilities?
Yes! Sonicu’s SoniCloud software provides logs of important user actions, such as clearing alarms and changing alarm thresholds. These audit logs can be provided to the user as requested.
5. What software does the client need to use on the Sonicu platform?
The SoniCloud monitoring platform runs on any standard, current-generation web browser (Chrome, IE, Firefox, etc.) There is nothing else needed - no plug-ins, no additional software, nothing!
6. What data transmission options does Sonicu offer to ensure data security?
Sonicu provides encryption options over a cellular network (if the devices are located off the client’s network) or offers a B2B IPSec VPN as required (if the devices are located on the client’s network) for data transmission to AWS. Sonicu requires HTTPS for all web connections.