We are in the middle of a fourth industrial revolution, accelerated and reinforced by the coronavirus pandemic. The automation and digitalisation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices offer many advantages, yet there are undoubtedly challenges along the road to adoption. Endress+Hauser is perfectly positioned to help businesses benefit from extraordinary technological advances while protecting their assets.
The digitalisation boost catalysed by the pandemic has touched all areas, including industrial production. Many businesses are investing in automation, IT and communication technologies either to remotely monitor process conditions or, by using the data in a more advanced way, to improve process safety and product quality. This, in turn, has focused the spotlight on data privacy and cybersecurity.
Around 350,000 new varieties of malware crop up every day around the world. While most of them are intercepted by conventional security software, some are highly sophisticated, programmed to inflict damage on companies. While greater connectivity between process engineering systems promises greater productivity, efficiency and operational safety, it also offers a mode of attack for hackers and cybercriminals. If field instruments are tampered with, there is risk of production downtime or even plant damage. As a leading provider of IIoT solutions with the Netilion platform, Endress+Hauser takes its responsibility to protect customers’ data and assets extremely seriously.
Stringent requirements for automation technology
Endress+Hauser has proven its commitment to meeting the highest standards in cybersecurity with ISO 27001 certification. This not only puts the company in the same league as global players such as Microsoft and Google in terms of information security but also helps customers to meet their compliance requirements. In addition, the Netilion cloud solution has reached a milestone with ISO 27017 certification, a standard designed specifically for cloud application information security. It has also been confirmed that the product development processes and product life cycles at Endress+Hauser meet the IEC 62443-4-1 international industry standard for cybersecurity. By adhering to these certified guidelines, the company ensures that its products contribute to the reliability and security of its customers’ plants.
“This is a testament to the quality of our work, which we are extremely pleased about,” says Mirko Brcic, Product Security Officer at Endress+Hauser. “In light of ongoing technical advances – you only have to think about the advanced physical layer or IIoT products – for us it’s very important that we not only accelerate digitalisation but continue to safeguard the security of our instruments and software at the same pace.”
By aligning the processes with international standards, Endress+Hauser ensures that products are developed from the beginning with all security requirements in mind and that the components it delivers pose no risks. Added to that are other measures such as code analyses and reviews, penetration tests and the installation of security updates.
Breaking new ground
Endress+Hauser has a long tradition of investing in innovation. Last year the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), which oversees the standardisation of internet communication protocols, recommended the CPace security technology developed by Endress+Hauser, which provides password-protected instrument access. The innovative CPace method has the potential to eventually protect internet-based applications well beyond the process industry.
For more information on how to boost your productivity safely through digitalisation, visit www.netilion.endress.com.