As a customer engineer, the author helps networks in smart factories improve their connectivity by using ngrok. The goal is to provide secure access to critical systems without exposing them to the public internet or relying on complex VPN setups. To achieve this, three key services need secure access: a telemetry API for real-time machine data, a sensor database for storing logs, and a factory web dashboard for maintenance. However, factories have challenges such as blocking inbound connections, requiring temporary access to the dashboard, and managing permanent access to APIs and databases. The author suggests using ngrok's universal gateway, which allows creating secure ingress to any app, IoT device, or service without spending hours learning arcane networking technologies. A single ngrok agent can control access to all systems without exposing machines to the public internet. The author explains how to define internal endpoints in ngrok's configuration file and reserve a TCP address for cloud endpoints. This setup minimizes security risks, simplifies deployment, and ensures continuous uptime for mission-critical services.