"},{"ID":309692,"user_firstname":"Andreas","user_lastname":"Lippold","nickname":"Andreas Lippold","user_nicename":"alippold","display_name":"Andreas Lippold","user_email":"alippold@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2022-05-09 09:04:34","user_description":"As a lead product manager at Esri, Andreas Lippold is passionate about understanding what customers need in the area of Esri's 3D\/AEC\/Digital Twin products. He's got lots of experience in product management and design thinking-based customer support, especially in the AEC area. Over the last 15 years, he's worked in product management in AEC, 3D and AR\/VR and has 17 years of experience in the geospatial industry.","user_avatar":"
"}],"short_description":"Secure digital twins start with secure data. Balance openness and protection with smart data governance using ArcGIS.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"As cities and industries embrace digital transformation, digital twins have emerged as powerful tools for modeling, monitoring, and optimizing real-world systems. These highly accurate, survey-grade 3D representations are more than just visualizations\u2014they are operational models, tightly linked to real-time systems and designed to drive decisions and actions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, with this power comes vulnerability and responsibility. The true risk doesn\u2019t lie in the digital twin itself, but in the vast streams of data that fuel it. From infrastructure schematics to live sensor feeds, this data can expose critical systems to cyber threats, privacy breaches, and misuse if not properly secured.<\/span><\/p>\n Digital twins can be built on geospatial data – often collected at survey-grade accuracy\u2014and can include sensitive details about infrastructure, utilities, and operations. This level of precision, while essential for solving real-world problems, also introduces security vulnerabilities if organizations do not properly manage the data.\u00a0 The threat lies in\u00a0 accessibility, editability, and shareability of that data – especially when it includes critical infrastructure or private operational systems.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The value of a digital twin lies in its accuracy and detail. But that same fidelity can expose:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unauthorized users accessing this information can pose operational, physical, and cybersecurity risks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At Esri, we\u2019ve long championed open data. Through platforms like the Living Atlas, we make non-sensitive geospatial data freely available – not just to customers, but to the public through apps like ArcGIS Earth. This openness empowers users to innovate, enhances transparency, and enables communities to make better decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n Rather than weakening or abandoning openness, we view\u00a0this as an opportunity to make access smarter. Esri\u2019s ArcGIS platform provides a granular, role-based approach to data governance that ensures digital twins remain secure while delivering flexibility and value. With ArcGIS, organizations can:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This means that organizations can limit sensitive data – such as the interior of buildings or utility networks – to authorized professionals, such as emergency services or utility operators.<\/span> At the same time, non-sensitive data that is valuable to the public remains open and available.<\/span> The result is a balanced model: open where it creates opportunities, protected where it matters most.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The new ArcGIS User Types allow organizations to tailor access and editing rights based on specific roles:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, combined with group- and layer-based access controls, this enables even finer-grained management. Users see exactly what they need for their tasks – no more, no less. This supports a modern security strategy that balances openness with control – a crucial step toward resilient, trustworthy digital twins.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhen accuracy becomes a liability<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Balancing openness with smart access control<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Role-based permissions with ArcGIS user types<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Security beyond access: managing downstream use<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n