Network Communications News (NCN) October 2016 | Page 20

F E AT U R E

cloud security

Cloud cover
You wouldn’t allow an intruder to spend 229 days in your house undetected, so why would
you do that with your manufacturing facility? As incredible as that sounds, the average
time between a cyber security breach and its detection is 229 days. Manufacturing facilities
are leading the list of potential targets for cyber espionage, denial of service (DoS) and
web application attacks. Here, Martyn Williams of Copa-Data UK, discusses three steps
manufacturers should take to stay safe in the cloud.

A

s the manufacturing sector moves
towards industrial automation,
the Internet of Things (IoT) and
the cloud, the number and nature
of cyber threats is also growing.
A decade ago, user security was
the IT department’s responsibility.
Connected devices, the collapse
of traditional industrial automation
architecture and the move to the cloud

means cyber security needs to take centre
stage in any manufacturing facility.
Hackers traditionally targeted the
IT and enterprise systems, but now
manufacturers are seeing the same
threats on their production lines,
sensors, PLCs and SCADA systems.
Traditional security focused on passive
defence, but increasingly advanced
attacks require a different approach.

The one thing manufacturers need
to understand is that any industrial
automation system today is vulnerable
to cyber attacks. The only way of taking
advantage of the benefits of IoT and the
cloud is to stay vigilant and use industry
best practice. Industrial security is no
longer the IT department’s concern, but
a 24/7 job for everyone, including those
in the boardroom.

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03/10/2016 12:19