Data securityNews from the security sector
Cyber security will be far more important in industry in the future than it has been in the past. Computer&AUTOMATION has compiled a series of images showing which hardware and software solutions companies can use to protect themselves against unauthorized access.
Almost all milling and turning machines are based on conventional PC operating systems such as Windows, Linux or Mac OS. The individual machines are usually connected to each other via a network connection, have Internet access and can communicate with data transfer software, ERP systems or CAD/CAM programs. The production elements are therefore located in the same network as office PCs, servers and printers and are consequently exposed to the same IT threats. S.K.I.P. Datentechnik has developed special security concepts to protect entire machine parks against malware. The first step is to set up a dedicated machine network and separate it from the conventional PC network. From this point onwards, only certain computers have access to the machines. The company also separates sensitive machine systems from the Internet and creates a secure VLAN environment. As an alternative to the insecure network connections, the company connects all machines to the network with serial Com-Servers. The serial connections (RS232 interfaces) convert the data during transfer to the machine systems and thus protect the PLC from malware attacks. The provider is able to securely network both old and new machines from different manufacturers, regardless of the data transfer programs used. This is possible thanks to a special IO module that can be connected to any software via SQL.