PC-APR23-PG18.1_Layout 1 13/04/2023 11:22 Page 18


COVER STORY


SECURITY FIRST AT VEGA


VEGA, the manufacturer of level, point level and pressure instrumentation, is on a security mission


n January 2023, VEGA delivered to its customers what is unquestionably the world’s first level sensor with built-in cyber security features. With this new development VEGA wants to send a strong message, namely, that it recognises the increasing threat of cyber criminality in industry and is taking action to combat it. From the outside, you wouldn’t see anything different or unusual: the VEGAPULS 6X radar sensor, together with its documentation, fits perfectly into its tailor- made carton which, at the end of the packaging line, gets its shipping label. Address: A chemical company in the United Kingdom. But what the customer receives is something quite different from all the other level sensors previously available on the market. For the first time ever, this sensor comes with cyber protection as an integral


I


component. It was developed in compliance with Industrial Cyber Security Standard IEC 62443-4-2 and thus meets the highest standards currently implemented in the process industry.


“Being able to use secure measurement data at all times is now one of the most important requirements of our customers,” says Florian Burgert, who was involved in the notion of the universal level sensor from the very beginning. “We hear this from customers in almost every industrial sector.” For truly extensive security, not only does the production system as a whole have to be secure, but all the built-in components as well. Everything must comply with the standards.


Especially when it comes to cyber security, plant operators want equipment they can depend on in order to stay one step ahead


of the latest threats. And now, VEGA doesn’t want to rest on its laurels after having developed one instrument in compliance with IEC 62443. With its certification as a guide, the company plans to develop future products in accordance with all existing security requirements right from the start. Protective measures will be consistently expanded to create a reliable basis for secure plant operation in the future.


VEGA Controls www.vega.com/uk


DATA SECURITY FREE OF CHARGE IN THE VEGA TOOLS APP New backup & restore solution reliably secures and saves data from VEGA sensors.


When a level or pressure sensor is taken out of service and replaced, it takes countless important sensor settings and data with it into retirement. However, the settings and measured values are not lost, because a new VEGA software tool saves everything that matters. Smartphones and tablets are now standard equipment in industrial plants. Almost 40 percent of all VEGA sensors for level, point level and pressure are parameterised, read out and serviced via Bluetooth and the VEGA Tools app. To be sure, lots of "real work" still has to be done on site, but the adjustment of sensors in hazardous zones or hard-to-reach measuring points is made considerably easier with these wireless tools, as it can be performed from a safe distance of up to 50 metres.


But even in less demanding "standard applications", wireless operation via app is increasingly gaining acceptance. VEGA product manager Philipp Ketterer knows the reasons: "For Industry 4.0, there has to be fast, continuous data communication." Besides continuous transmission as required by IIoT, it includes above all an increase in convenience and speed. "Actually, the same arguments for Bluetooth in industry apply to the private use of wireless: It saves an enormous amount of wiring and time, and ultimately, costs." Universally accessible process data is one of the most important prerequisites for reliable, cost-effective production. Sensors monitor the status and quality of the individual production steps and store important information on settings, diagnostics and the status of machines and systems. The users of these sensors, in turn, need the certainty that they have access to all sensor parameters at all times and that backup solutions are available if a worst-case scenario occurs.


To provide the best possible support for users, VEGA offers an innovative cloud solution. "Backup & Restore" is the name of a new software tool that VEGA customers can now use permanently free of charge and, as the name implies, offers them the option of backing up and restoring their sensor data.


Convenient access to this service is provided by both the instrument DTMs and the VEGA Tools app. With the app, VEGA sensors can be directly controlled and adjusted via smartphone or tablet. New here under “Instrument adjustment” is the function "Backup & Restore". Behind the serial numbers, which appear listed here via mouse click, the available backup data can be called up and – if you so choose – reinstalled. "Our customers can access all the data ever collected, because the number of backups is not limited," says Ketterer. "We thus offer a unique free service that brings significantly more efficiency to automated processes."


In the industrial environment, too, data backup now means much more than just storage. Flexible backups and quick restores are important for ensuring that valuable process data are available for immediate reinstatement of device settings, diagnostics or process analysis. With the software tool "Backup & Restore", VEGA has solved the problem many companies have, namely, keeping enough storage space available for ever larger quantities of data. All parameters can be saved securely in the VEGA cloud at regular intervals. For medium-sized and small companies, as well as others, this is an ideal option for permanently securing their complex, ever- growing data flow.


18 APRIL 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70