FEATURE INDUSTRY 4.0


ADDRESSING IOT ISSUES IN MANUFACTURING SITES


Omron’s machine and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The latter have been designed to deliver reliability under extreme conditions at manufacturing plants. This collaboration will help manufacturers to achieve safe and secure production in intelligent sites that are enhanced by the use of IIoT. Omron and Cisco will jointly develop a


secure environment in which machine controllers and PLCs, as core automation components, provide security authentication for the three discrete elements mentioned earlier: people at manufacturing sites; devices connected to machinery and production lines; and data exchanges. • User authentication: Omron’s


Although the Internet of Things (IoT) has enjoyed explosive growth in recent times, it’s still a relatively recent concept. It’s based around the idea of connecting any devices or objects that incorporate electronics, software or sensors, with the aim of collecting and exchanging data


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ver the past few years, IoT has spread like wildfire – and shows


little sign of slowing down. Indeed, according to Cisco, the number of connected devices is expected to exceed 50 billion by next year. These range from everyday items such as controllable lighting and heating in the home through to machine-to-machine (M2M) communications in the factory. However, this rapid increase in the


number of devices or end points for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) also means that there is a correspondingly higher risk in terms of security - especially in relation to the data that’s being collected and exchanged. This issue needs to be urgently addressed so that IoT as well as IIoT can continue to develop safely and securely in the future. CMSWire recently reported that if this can be achieved, “It is likely that adoption will continue at an exponential rate, greater consolidation will drive developers to edge computing and connected applications will unlock multi- purpose robots, leading to far greater capability and functionality”.


8 JULY/AUGUST 2020 | IRISH MANUFACTURING In reality, this is already beginning to


happen in some areas. Manufacturers around the world are striving to strengthen their global competitiveness and corporate value by enhancing their manufacturing capabilities through the use of IIoT. The industry is also rising to the challenge of making manufacturing sites more intelligent through the active use of digital technologies. However, the risks are also much higher in the manufacturing industry than in many other sectors. Manufacturing sites are facing more serious threats than ever before, as evidenced by recent cases of disrupted production due to ransomware and other malware attacks.


HOW IS OMRON ADDRESSING IIOT IN MANUFACTURING So, what steps are organisations taking to try and ensure that manufacturers can enjoy the benefits of IIoT whilst being protected from its vulnerabilities? Omron and Cisco Systems have announced that they will join forces to address this issue. Cisco’s leading networking and security technology will be integrated into


controllers and PLCs will authenticate user access and grant secure remote access (VPN) only to authorised users, facilitating the safe monitoring of devices and machines at manufacturing sites. • Device authentication: The controllers


and PLCs will detect device connections, block access from unauthorised devices, and issue alerts in real time. • Data authentication: Omron’s devices


will encrypt communication data and ensure that the data is transmitted appropriately. They will also detect and record any unauthorised access and security threats by monitoring and visualising details of data in the network. Before joining forces with Cisco, Omron


had already developed the Machine Automation Controller NJ Series. This is its flagship machine controller, which comes as standard with the OPC UA server and complies with the security- enabled global communications standard. Its new PLCs enable secure data communication with software and devices that support OPC UA. The rapid increase in the number of IIoT


devices is creating a higher security risk, especially in relation to the data that is being collected and exchanged. This issue needs to be addressed so that IIoT can continue to develop safely and securely in the future. Ensuring the security of IIoT solutions in production lines will ultimately help progressive manufacturers to streamline their processes whilst also enabling them to make further new advances in manufacturing.


Omron www.omron.co.uk T: 0870 752 0861


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