Industrial IoT (IIoT) offers the promise of business outcomes through the use of innovative technology. The challenge for industrial operations is to develop a balanced security stance to take advantage of IIoT innovation while maintaining the integrity of industrial security best practices.

Cyber-attacks have increased over time and require a more comprehensive, proactive approach for industry to protect critical systems. Protecting control systems will be an ongoing responsibility that everyone must share by following standards and implementing a defense-in-depth approach to cybersecurity.

This article is a summary of a new architecture proposal to integrate OPC UA, Data Distribution Service (DDS) & Time Sensitive Networking (TSN). The goal is to build a coalition of vendors, consortia and standards bodies to support this approach to define and standardize the architecture to unify industry.

Similar to equipment connectivity, a good visual management program should easily synchronize data with existing networks and servers. This synchronization enables the displaying of target KPIs and allows the manufacturer to pull all its collected metrics into common data analysis tools.

The MQTT message transport protocol, in conjunction with the Sparkplug Specification, provides a modern, event-driven, Message-Oriented Middleware infrastructure upon which customers can drive their digital transformation implementations.

A new proof-of-concept TSN conformance testing tool enables systems designers the chance to see how their devices and networks perform in real-world settings, before they are being rolled out as products. The goal is to create a faster process towards an open, interoperable ecosystem of devices.

Cellular networking solutions are making it possible to connect, monitor and control remote assets. The goal is to build unmatched intelligence through a single cellular networking platform that provides an optimal solution to connect, monitor and control systems and processes and create smart remote sites.

With the acceptance of industrial Ethernet backbones and wireless networks, IIoT HART interface devices with built-in security measures, open industry protocols and ease of programming provide a quick, easy and seamless way to share process data with the entire corporate infrastructure.

Two developing IT-based, IETF standards are aiming at helping to automate and simplify deployment of security processes for Industrial Automation and Control (IAC) devices and networks, as they become operational in machine builder, customer or system integrator’s processes.

Cyber security is a considerable issue in the Industrial Networking that is demanding more and more attention. The IEEE 802.1AE standard, MACSec, is an efficient and high cost-performance ratio solution for Ethernet links to prevent “Man in the Middle” attacks and external threats from frame tampering.