The Role of Cybersecurity in Industry 4.0
Every once in a while, advancing technology revolutionizes the way businesses operate. In the late 1700s, steam power mechanized the production of textiles, iron, and agricultural products. Then, in the late 1800s, electrification and the proliferation of extensive railroad networks had a similar revolutionary effect. The most recent iteration of the trend saw the introduction of computers—and later, the internet—which changed both how businesses worked as well as how consumers connected to those businesses.
Eventually, historians began to refer to those three historical epochs as the first, second, and third industrial revolutions. Together, they created the business world as we know it today. Now, there is another industrial revolution afoot—and it is bound to create similar upheaval for businesses and consumers alike. Business analysts already refer to it as Industry 4.0, and it is all about the integration of connected devices—the internet of things (IoT)—and the capabilities businesses will gain from it.
Businesses wishing to implement Industry 4.0 technologies must remain cognizant of the cybersecurity implications that come with the sudden addition of hundreds or thousands of connected devices. Those that navigate the change without creating undue risk will be the eventual winners of this new industrial revolution. To help with that, here is a guide on planning an Industry 4.0 technology implementation, while managing the inherent cybersecurity risks. We’ll discuss strategies for protecting the organization’s IT infrastructure, data, and industrial processes without creating massive security headaches.
1. Assess the Security Risks of Industry 4.0
Before embarking on this adventure, business decision-makers should get a better understanding of the inherent risks that come with current-generation Industry 4.0 IoT technology. This will enable them to make the most informed decisions on how to proceed. At this stage, the risks could well outweigh the benefits for some businesses.
Specifically, businesses should take the time to research the IoT vendors that serve their industry. Although it is possible to build a vendor agnostic IoT technology infrastructure, it is often more costly and risky to do so. This is largely due to current-generation IoT technology being notorious for offering little in the way of security standardization between brands. Additionally, that reality makes IoT devices a major target for hackers, who see them as the low-hanging fruit of the cybersecurity world.
As a result, many businesses trying to get onto the bleeding edge of Industry 4.0 technology opt for a single-vendor approach. This greatly simplifies the process of assessing potential security risks and developing a plan to mitigate any that have no clear solutions.
2. Improve the Foundation
The first thing that businesses must recognize before moving forward with their Industry 4.0 plans is that their existing infrastructure will form the foundations of the next generation of technology. Therefore, their first steps should be shoring up the security of existing infrastructure before adding anything to it.
To do that they should perform a top-to-bottom review of existing hardware to create a complete infrastructure assessment. Of particular interest are any public-facing parts of the business IT infrastructure, such as public sites, services, and database connections. Also, it is a good idea to analyze network capacity to look for any choke points that might prevent the successful integration of a new generation of devices.
The goal is to develop a list of improvements to existing security and network capacity which needs to be completed before moving forward with an Industry 4.0 plan.
3. Develop a Secure Integration Plan
The next step on the path to Industry 4.0 is to figure out exactly which new technologies would make a useful addition to the existing infrastructure. For example, a manufacturing business might start looking at enhanced robotics, cobots, and sensor systems to speed up their industrial processes. A consumer products business might consider deploying in-product sensors to provide real-time usage data to power continuous product improvement. In both cases, it is useful to divide potential technology additions into near-term and long-term categories.
From there, businesses should think about the cybersecurity implications of the technologies in the near-term category. After that it should be possible to develop an integration plan that includes a security hardening checklist. We’ve written extensively on how organizations can secure their IoT assets, and that should offer a useful starting point. At this stage, however, all that is necessary is to select the right security measures and applicable assistive technologies which can be added to the roadmap.
4. Execute a Rollout and Review
With the near-term technology selected and its cybersecurity implications known, the next step is to roll out the chosen technology and get everything up and running. At that point, most businesses get consumed with integrating their new technology assets into their business processes. That is obviously necessary—but it is not the only thing they should be worrying about at this stage.
They also need to review their deployments to look for any flaws in implementation or security risks that got overlooked in the planning stage. The fact is many IoT device deployments happen on a scale that most organizations have not seen before, and mistakes can happen. From a cybersecurity standpoint, the sooner those mistakes get corrected, the better off the business will be.
To help with the process, it is a good idea to hire a third-party firm to conduct a network-wide penetration test. Having an objective set of eyes to go over things and probe for vulnerabilities is an effective way to avoid unnecessary risk. In almost every case, a penetration testing team will identify problems that network engineers and other technology specialists have not considered. This allows the business to fix those vulnerabilities before a real threat actor exploits them.
5. Create Procedures for Monitoring and Review
Finally, businesses must follow up on their Industry 4.0 technology deployments with comprehensive procedures to monitor their new systems and review security telemetry frequently. This is critical because many of the potential security vulnerabilities that come with IoT technology are usage dependent. That means they only arise once end-users begin to interact with or make use of them. The potential risks include everything from user errors to inadvertent configuration changes that create previously unknown vulnerabilities.
There is no way to turn a network full of IoT hardware into a set-it-and-forget-it security affair. Businesses must tailor the scope and cadence of their security reviews to match their needs. In general, it is a good idea to conduct bi-monthly reviews of device security and usage logs, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Bi-annual security policy reviews should also be conducted to incorporate new knowledge obtained from the previous six months’ worth of data. That way, the business’s security policies will evolve along with its infrastructure use, keeping pace with any changes that happen along the way.
Industry 4.0 Cybersecurity
Businesses stand at the precipice of the next industrial revolution. For some, it makes sense to move forward now to exploit everything that the technologies associated with Industry 4.0 has to offer. For others, a more measured approach is the order of the day. What is evident is that this will be a technology shift that most business will need to navigate, sooner or later. Therefore, it makes sense to prepare now to minimize the risks when the time comes.
Outsource IT is happy to help businesses with their Industry 4.0 cybersecurity needs. We offer proven business cybersecurity services that can help businesses onboard new technologies without unnecessary risk. Contact an Outsource IT account manager today to get help with charting a course for your organization as it moves into the Industry 4.0 future.
