Time-sensitive networking (TSN) is a very hot topic in the industrial world. You’ve probably read numerous articles on the new standard over the past several months, all of which likely tout the revolutionary nature of the real-time communication and determinism that the framework provides. While the benefits are clear, what isn’t being discussed is that the configuration of TSN mechanisms such as the time-aware scheduler and its reservation of timeslots for Ethernet frames can require a great deal of configuration to get right.

In today’s information age, everything in our lives, both as engineers and consumers, is about data. From big data and smart cities, phones and cars to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), we have access to an incredible amount of information ready to be tapped everywhere we turn. And we’re starting to leverage it in a way that not only makes our lives easier, but shapes markets through new capabilities and opportunities for innovation.

Petya ransomware surfaced publicly in June 2017, starting first in the Ukraine, rapidly moving to Europe and now into the United States. This global ransomware epidemic will not only encrypt your systems – essentially denying you access to everything it holds – it also “wipes” (overwrites) the hard drive master boot record (MBR) so that it cannot boot up its operating system. Without a backup, your system is dead and all the data lost. Some researchers believe even if the Bitcoin ransom were paid and keys obtained, they would not work to decrypt and restore your systems.

If you’re following industrial cyber security trends you know that industrial networks, endpoints and control systems typically have inherent weaknesses that make them insecure and vulnerable to compromise through digital methods. With 5.6 million newly connected devices added per day in 2016 and an estimated 21 billion online by 2020, these current growth trends only increase the potential attack surface within industrial automation and process control environments.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has been a hot topic of late. One key consideration that will impact its acceptance rate and ultimate success is security. A successful attack on an IIoT system could result in the loss of sensitive data, interruption of operations, and destruction of systems. This will result in damage to brand and reputation, material economic loss and damage to critical infrastructure. Worse, there could be damage to the environment, injury or loss of human life. A secure IIoT solution is comprised of a variety of elements, including secure products, secure protocols, a secure network, ongoing security monitoring, and employees with cybersecurity expertise.