In today’s world of smart factories, connected devices, and 24/7 production schedules, the ability to securely access and manage industrial automation systems has become a business-critical issue. From the perspective of both IT managers tasked with safeguarding networks, and Engineering Managers charged with keeping machines running, the stakes have never been higher.
When downtime costs are measured in tens of thousands of pounds per hour and cyber threats are a daily reality, the tools we choose to connect, monitor, and protect our automation assets can mean the difference between resilience and vulnerability.
Two solutions that often come up in this space are Tosibox and Connect. On the surface, they may appear similar; both create secure channels into industrial systems, but their philosophies, design, and real-world impact are very different. Understanding these differences is vital if you are responsible for safeguarding uptime, security, and compliance within your business.
Tosibox in Context: The Traditional VPN Approach
Tosibox has earned its reputation as a trusted provider of hardware-based VPN solutions. The principle is simple and elegant:
- A Lock device is installed on-site, connected to a PLC, HMI, or network.
- A Key (physical USB or software licence) is used by an engineer to connect remotely.
- An encrypted tunnel is established, giving secure access into the device or network.
For IT managers, this has always been attractive. It avoids messy port forwarding, it encrypts traffic end-to-end, and it provides centralised management if you scale across multiple sites. For Engineering Managers, it’s straightforward and reliable, a trusted way to get OEMs or contractors dialled in when a line is down.
But Tosibox, as effective as it is, has limitations. It provides the tunnel, but not the engineer or the context. The moment that secure connection is established, everything still depends on the availability and expertise of the person logging in. If your PLC code isn’t documented, if your backup is outdated, or if the right OEM isn’t free until tomorrow, that secure tunnel isn’t going to save you from costly downtime.
The Connect Philosophy: Security Meets Service
Connect, developed by ECS, takes a very different approach. Yes, it also provides a secure gateway into your automation assets. But the gateway itself is patented and designed around the principle of “on-demand connectivity”; the device and network are only exposed when they need to be, dramatically reducing the surface area for cyber-attacks.
But Connect doesn’t stop there. Unlike Tosibox, which is essentially a networking product, Connect is a service. When you subscribe to Connect, you’re not just buying hardware, you’re gaining direct access to a 24/7 team of highly skilled automation engineers who can connect in within an hour of an issue being reported.
For Engineering Managers, this means downtime is actively reduced, not just theoretically possible to reduce. For IT Managers, it means fewer open tunnels, fewer standing risks, and more accountability, because every access session is controlled and logged.
Security: Always-On vs On-Demand
From an IT perspective, one of the most thought-provoking differences between Tosibox and Connect lies in their security posture.
- Tosibox: While highly secure, Tosibox devices are typically installed as always-available VPN endpoints. The Locks sit inside your network, waiting to establish encrypted sessions when a Key connects. This design is safe, but the device itself is permanently addressable on the network, which creates a standing potential risk, albeit a controlled one.
- Connect: By contrast, Connect’s patented gateway only activates a link when it is required. The device is invisible until the connection is initiated, meaning it doesn’t create a permanent hole in the firewall. This “dark until needed” architecture appeals strongly to IT leaders who live by the principle of minimising attack surfaces.
In a world where cyber-attacks against industrial networks are on the rise, that difference is not just technical, it’s strategic. IT managers increasingly see “always-on” connectivity as a liability, no matter how well encrypted. Connect offers peace of mind by flipping the model to “on-demand.”
Downtime: Tunnel vs Team
Let’s shift into the mindset of the Engineering Manager. Your packaging line has stopped. A PLC fault has frozen production. The operators are idle. Trucks are waiting outside for shipments. Every minute is costing thousands.
- With Tosibox, you can set up the secure tunnel instantly. But then what? You need the right engineer with the right Key, who knows the brand of PLC in question, has the right version of the program, and is available right now. If your only option is to wait for the OEM to log in, or worse, travel to site, that tunnel is cold comfort.
- With Connect, the tunnel is just the beginning. Once triggered, it comes with a guarantee that an ECS automation engineer will be inside that device within the hour. Not only that, but thanks to Vault, they already have the latest version of the code, the history of changes, and a parts list for critical spares. The time from fault to fix is dramatically compressed.
For Engineering Managers, that’s the critical difference: Tosibox enables remote work; Connect delivers remote resolution.
Asset Management: Hidden Weak Spot vs Built-In Vault
One of the less glamorous but hugely important aspects of automation support is asset management. How many manufacturers today truly know:
- Where all their PLC programs are stored?
- Which is the latest version?
- What changes were made last time?
- Which spare parts are critical to each device?
The uncomfortable truth is that in many factories, this knowledge is scattered between contractors, USB sticks, and engineers’ laptops. Tosibox does nothing to change that. It gives secure access, but what happens after login is still chaotic.
Connect, by bundling Vault, changes the equation. Every PLC, HMI, or smart device under Connect is mirrored in Vault. That means:
- Code is version-controlled and backed up.
- Asset lists and spares are logged.
- Engineers can arrive at the problem already informed.
For IT managers, this brings compliance benefits: audit trails, accountability, and resilience. For Engineering Managers, it means no more guessing games during downtime.
Cost: CapEx vs OpEx, Predictable vs Variable
Cost is always a sticking point, and this is where the philosophies diverge most clearly.
- Tosibox is a classic CapEx purchase. You buy the hardware Locks and Keys, you may add a management system, and then you still pay external engineers to use that tunnel when problems occur. The upfront spend may be lower, but the ongoing costs are unpredictable. One OEM callout could run to £1,000+ per day plus travel.
- Connect is an OpEx subscription. You pay a predictable monthly fee, plus transparent callout charges if and when you need them. The cost is tied to actual service delivery, not hardware ownership. For CFOs, this turns engineering support into a manageable line item rather than a fluctuating liability.
It comes down to risk appetite. Do you want to gamble on when and how often your lines will fail, or do you want an insurance-like model that ensures coverage when you need it most?
Scalability: Device-by-Device vs Fleet Coverage
Manufacturers rarely have just one PLC or one production line. Scaling matters.
- With Tosibox, scaling means buying more Locks, more Keys, and more licences. Every new line is a new device, and managing dozens across multiple sites can become cumbersome.
- With Connect, scaling is seamless. You can cover multiple devices and sites under a single subscription umbrella. Vault ensures every new device is immediately documented and protected as you increase your coverage.
For IT departments trying to standardise security policies, and for Engineering Managers trying to simplify support, this is a game-changer.
The Human Factor: Tools vs Services
One of the more subtle but important differences between Tosibox and Connect is the human factor.
Tosibox is a tool. Like a secure spanner, it’s only as good as the person wielding it. You still need the OEM, the contractor, or your in-house engineer to make it useful.
Connect is a service. It comes with the team, the expertise, and the process built in. It’s not about whether someone can connect, it’s about knowing someone will connect, fix, and record the solution.
For IT Managers, that means less finger-pointing between vendors. For Engineering Managers, it means fewer nights waiting for an OEM to call back.
The Bigger Picture: Competitive Edge
At the highest level, this comparison is not about technology, but about strategy. Manufacturers today are competing not only on price, but on resilience and uptime. The ability to guarantee production capacity, even when faults occur, can be the deciding factor in winning contracts and keeping customers.
- Tosibox will secure your access, but it won’t guarantee your uptime.
- Connect, by pairing patented secure access with a 24/7 service and Vault’s digital asset management, does both.
That is why, for forward-thinking IT and Engineering Managers, the question is less “Which is cheaper?” and more “Which protects our ability to compete?”
Conclusion: The Tunnel or the Team?
Tosibox deserves its reputation. It is robust, proven, and widely used. For many businesses, it remains a strong choice for secure remote access. But it is ultimately a tunnel, a channel that still relies on external engineers, scattered code, and unpredictable costs.
Connect, by contrast, represents a new philosophy. Its patented on-demand gateway reassures IT managers by reducing attack surfaces. Its built-in service and Vault integration reassure Engineering Managers by reducing downtime. And its subscription model reassures finance by making costs predictable.
In the end, the choice comes down to this: do you want a secure way to call for help, or do you want a secure way to guarantee help arrives?
For manufacturers where uptime is survival, the answer is increasingly clear.
