by Ivan Farkas
For Thomas Insights
Image Credit: PaO_STUDIO / Shutterstock.com
Automation is transforming industry. Virtually every process is becoming more efficient and interconnected thanks to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0. The trade-off? A greater need for cybersecurity, which sometimes struggles to keep pace with advances in automation.
Improving cybersecurity is vital to keep operations running smoothly and safely. And as interconnectivity increases between robots, smart sensors, factory processes, and the cloud, the risks of hacks or cyberattacks increase greatly. This is especially true in the manufacturing sector, where cyberattacks target one in five companies.
Embrace Automation with Cybersecurity Measures
While automation does increase the need for cybersecurity, it doesn’t mean one should fear automating.
The robotics of yesteryear may have had limited mobility or freedom. But next-gen variants are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that provides sophisticated decision-making powers and unprecedented mobility and dexterity. The increased risk may seem an inherent aspect of increased intricacy and ubiquity, but it doesn’t have to be if cybersecurity measures are appropriately scaled.
The Internet of Things (IoT) allows for exponentially better and more intelligent production. However, the extensive reach of the IoT allows for cyber threats to reach the shop floor.
Even if a facility’s primary operations are well-guarded, hackers can find small gaps to cripple a company’s production. For example, as control systems are shored up and updated, a thousand other smaller avenues — like smart sensors, machines, and other network-connected entities — may not receive the same attention and inadvertently provide “open doors” for intrusion.
However, organizations can protect themselves.
