A computer data product containing a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to implement a method for collecting and analyzing edge device data over a secure communications network, the method comprising:
- configuring an edge device gateway to communicate with a server implementing an device data processing application over a secure communications network, the secure communications network including a plurality of communities of interest implemented using an encryption key associated with each of the respective plurality of communities of interest, the edge device gateway and the server hosting the device data processing application being within a common community of interest;
- initiating collection of edge device data within one or more edge devices coupled to the edge device gateway, the one or more edge devices including a data generating sensor, each of the one or more edge devices having a secure connection to the edge device gateway;
- and
- receiving the edge device data at the server from the edge device gateway over a secure communications network, the edge device data being secured using the encryption key associated with the common community of interest;
- wherein each of the devices within the secure communications network, including the edge device gateway and the server hosting the device data processing application, is configured to:
- respond to one or more received communications packets when the data included in the one or more received communications packets received at the device is part of the particular community of interest, and
- decline to respond to communication packets from entities outside the particular community of interest.