INDUSTRY 4.0/IIOT FEATURE COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Bridging the gap between IT and automation can help securely integrate SCADA, says Carl Nash, technical director at Products4Automation
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CADA-enabled Industry 4.0 connectivity provides several advantages for data processing and reporting that can increase business efficiency and
productivity. However, technical boundaries need to be overcome to create robust network security. There are real reasons why concerns exist surrounding IT security: connecting an automation network to the internet can leave it, and any connected networks, open to infiltration or corruption if not sufficiently protected. These challenges are not insurmountable, however, IT departments can, as a result of the risk perception, present reasons why implementing Industry 4.0 could be too high-risk to be worth the potential benefit. A situation that frequently arises is that IT departments, who control the
flow of data to and from the network, do not fully understand the role, capabilities and vulnerabilities of automation. Conversely, automation engineers often do not fully understand the full scope of challenges presented to the IT team. Responsibilities between the departments are distinct but the territory, in
this case the local and wide area networks, become shared when introducing Industry 4.0. Ensuring the ideal balance of cooperation between the two groups is understandably challenging. However, the protection which IT affords is crucial to a successful Industry 4.0 SCADA implementation and therefore, so is the support of the IT team. From the automation engineer’s perspective, it’s crucial that the IT
department is engaged from the outset. This means sharing information on potential connectivity and vulnerabilities. Open discussion can resolve erroneously-held perceptions such as the belief that newly added automation components will present an inherent risk through only loosely protected connection to the internet. For example, a PLC can potentially pose a risk, as much as any other component added to the network, but explaining that an agenda will be in place to ensure firmware and software updates is key. Conversely, similar questions of the IT network will aid communication and build open dialogue. One crucial difference is understanding that the automation environment
must be segregated to form a firewalled network within the broader, firewall protected IT network. A network is only as strong as its weakest point, and if the two networks are not segregated, potential weakness can be exploited. Often, system integrators working with in-house factory automation
teams don’t have sufficient IT knowledge to support the integration with the wider network. Products4Automation has specialist IT experience to assist system integrators in their task of SCADA implementation. In addition to robust protection for local network access, Progea’s Movicon
SCADA, supplied to the UK and Ireland by Products4Automation, has a full web client which can be connected to via VPN to overcome the security challenge of remote network access. With Movicon’s web client, closed security to the SCADA system is ensured as remote access doesn’t require modification or opening of firewalls and the web client enforces the same security level as local connection.
Products4Automation
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