Cybersecurity And Product Design Of Automated Systems

By Kate Green, Research and Development Automation Engineer

In a world transformed by the ‘internet of everything’, data naturally becomes increasingly accessible. The recent pandemic brought about a necessity to bridge the rigid line between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) as remote access becomes commonplace with the need for life-saving vaccines at its height. Maybe crossing this line was inevitable as progress marches us forward, but with it comes increased risk of cyberattack. Clearly, remote access as a potential pathway for cyberattack has come to the fore due to industry’s current culture, other more historical pathways include access to systems via the network/USB for data collection, and software updates/troubleshooting utilizing external laptops.

This white paper looks at this threat and how we mitigate risk through thoughtful and practical product design of automated systems, highlighting the importance of good cybersecurity practices surrounding process data and equipment.