Recently we looked at the state of ICS security according to the 2016 SANS survey and commented on how a broader set of tools is becoming available to secure industrial automation systems. Many industrial engineers will likely not be familiar with these new-to-ICS technologies, which include things like configuration compliance monitoring and threat intelligence engines.

In Part 1 of this series I described how global competition and the IIoT are changing the industrial automation model. In the new model, the majority of the control function occurs at the field-level, a massive change that requires new kinds of field-level devices. The new devices will be “plug-and-produce,” that is, they are simply connected, turned on and presto! - they work. Many of them will also include programmable logic control features. These flexible, modular field-level devices will facilitate quick manufacturing changes, thereby getting products to market faster and cheaper. This is a key capability of the Smart Factory of the Future.

Do you believe that your control system is in more danger from cyberattacks now than it was a year ago? How does this compare with what other organizations are experiencing? How does your company compare to others in terms of doing security assessments? What security initiatives are others prioritizing?

Many industrial processes use devices with sensing technology to perform automated tasks with efficiency and precision. With the increase in complexity of manufacturing processes, however, comes the opportunity for things to go wrong – especially with a limited human presence in most industrial applications. Now, as these applications get smarter and smaller, even the sensors have sensors.