News
CALL FOR EMPLOYERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF APPRENTICE BONUS
INDUSTRY WARNED OF CYBER-SECURITY BLIND SPOTS
Operational Technology (OT) networks are increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks as a result of ‘blind spots’ brought on by digital transformation and IIoT, a report has warned. The report, published by Yokogawa UK and titled Industrial Cyber
Threats: Processes & Protection for Industrial Control Systems, highlights the vulnerability of OT networks in critical infrastructure and industrial applications, such as utilities and petrochemical plants, energy generation, automated manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, and water networks. Donal Bourke, manager for New Business & Advanced Solutions
at Yokogawa UK & Ireland, commented that digital transformation and IIoT, while having enormous benefits, if not appropriately designed and managed can simultaneously create an acute danger. “Digitalisation and the adoption of new technologies that facilitate interoperability, information flow and data insight, can create an OT ‘blind spot’ that can be exploited by state-sponsored action or by highly sophisticated lone-wolf hackers. They are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure with attacks that have the potential to disrupt the normal functioning of a society, such as power generation.” Unlike cyber-attacks on IT systems, attacks on OT networks are of
significantly higher concern and can have much graver implications. Bourke continued: “At one time, industrial environments were considered immune to cyber-attack due to employing techniques such as air-gapping which is the physical isolation of networks. This is no longer the case as digitalisation, which has facilitated the convergence of IT and OT has created a larger threat attack surface for bad actors to gain access to a facility’s integrated control and safety systems. Today’s hackers recognise the vulnerabilities of OT systems and are actively looking for ways to compromise them.” The report highlights the fact that OT security is in its infancy compared to IT security, despite the magnified risk, and urges government and industry to take a holistic approach. Bourke added: “There is no technology magic bullet that will mitigate the cyber security risk of increasing IT and OT convergence, the threat to control systems and human fallibility. The solution lies in taking a more holistic approach that involves awareness training, risk assessments, the development of OT appropriate policies and procedures, and architecting a system which provides an organisation with a comprehensive Cyber Security Management System.”
info.yokogawa.eu/acton/media/18463/industrial-cyber-threats-guide 6
The Manufacturing Technology Centre is urging companies to act quickly to take advantage of the Government’s new scheme to pay bonuses to employers who take on apprentices. The MTC, through MTC Apprenticeships based at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry, is offering advice to companies who want to access the Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’ payments, aimed at generating employment for young people and helping companies attract the most talented youngsters. As part of the Chancellor’s plans to aid the recovery of the UK economy after COVID-19, financial incentives are available to support employers who create new jobs for young people, incentivising workforce growth and helping to prevent high levels of unemployment. The plans focus on generating
employment opportunities for young people, and provide £2,000 to firms for each new 16-24 year- old apprentice while those taking on apprentices aged 25 and over will receive £1,500. The Treasury has confirmed that these payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 incentive the government provides for new 16-18 year-old apprentices. Businesses can leverage other funding opportunities to finance apprentice employment in addition to the new bonus. UK employers with a payroll of over £3million can use their apprenticeship levy to cover training costs, while eligible smaller businesses can access a £1million fund that has been created through an exclusive partnership between MTC Apprenticeships and Lloyds Bank.
www.the-mtc.org
IIoT PARTNERSHIP FOR IFM AND CLOUDRAIL
The sensor and automation specialist ifm and the IIoT expert CloudRail have announced a strategic partnership. The companies will pool their skills to improve their positions on the strongly growing market for professional IIoT and cloud solutions. Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or digitisation — there are many terms to describe the inexorable trend of networking machines, processes and people. What they all have in common is that they refer to interdisciplinary processes. “The IIoT has long ago ceased to be an exclusive topic of operation technology (OT),” commented Felix Kollmar, CEO of CloudRail. For some time now, classic players from IT can be seen to position themselves in this market.
Examples include cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure, but also big consulting firms and IT system integrators. “The challenges of digitisation are simply too big for individual companies. They require close cooperation between OT and IT,” concluded Kollmar.
www.ifm.com September 2020 Instrumentation Monthly
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