What is an example of an air-gapped network?
A common example of an air-gapped network is the classified network used by military and intelligence agencies to handle secret information, which runs entirely separate from the public internet with no physical or wireless connection between them.
Another everyday example is the control network for a power plant or factory floor, kept isolated so that a breach of the corporate office network cannot reach the systems running physical equipment.
Other typical cases include nuclear facility control systems, voting machine tabulation setups, and the "cold storage" wallets used to hold cryptocurrency offline. In each case, any data that must cross the gap moves by hand on removable media like a USB stick or a burned disc, since there is no network path. These environments usually pair the air gap with strict rules on what devices may enter the room, because that manual transfer is the main way threats can still slip in.
Related content
What is the purpose of an air gap in cybersecurity?
An air gap serves to physically isolate a computer or network from the internet and other untrusted networks, so that sensitive systems have no direct connection an attacker could reach through. The purpose is to create a barrier that remote threats like hackers, malware, and network-based intrusions cannot cross, because there is literally no link to exploit.
What does air-gapped mean?
An air-gapped system is a computer or network that's physically isolated from the internet and other unsecured networks, with no direct connection to the outside world. This isolation is a security measure meant to protect sensitive data or critical systems from remote attacks.
