The Industrial IoT approach makes processes more effective and efficient, but in contrast, security risks increase.
New Industry 4.0 business models offer impressive economic and innovative opportunities. The solutions adopted, ranging from remote and real-time monitoring to predictive maintenance, can reduce operational complexity and costs for the end user.
Industry analysts, including Gartner, predict in the near future a growth in industry 4.0 applications and an increase in the number of companies that will take advantage of the benefits of this technology. However, these rosy predictions are accompanied by an increase in cyber threats.
Industrial IoT security, why is it critical?
The traditional approach to cybersecurity focuses on software and how it is implemented, but security in the Industrial IoT, adds a layer of complexity, due to the convergence of computing and physical systems.
When people talk about Industrial IoT, they may not always think about the high number of IoT devices and its enabling technologies on the market and how high the risk of being attacked by cyber-criminals is, therefore.
What are the main IoT vulnerabilities in industry?
While Industrial IoT implementation allows for monitoring the performance and operating status of a process, it also involves:
- the generating a volume of information, potentially sensitive, that can attract cyber-attacks, thus putting data integrity at risk;
- the increase in access points to corporate networks, which are essential for collecting and distributing information along the value chain, makes networks more vulnerable and penetrable;
To overcome these, it would be wise to invest in appropriate industrial security solutions and for the corporate network infrastructure to be managed by a skilled team in IT security.
About Industrial IoT security Standard
Before the advent of Industry 4.0, security has not been a priority in OT environments because machinery was not connected to external networks. The convergence of IT/OT, and the consequent OT visibility, has provided opportunities for cyber-criminals who, by threatening machinery or devices, can cause extensive damage to production lines.
This gave rise to the need for the inclusion of Industrial IoT Security in the field of the New Machinery Regulations; in fact, there is an international standard such as IEC 62443, which, although voluntary, aims to make industrial plants safe, with particular regard to those operating under the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
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