A new international standard has been introduced to protect smart manufacturing from a cyber attack.
Business is so hyper-connected today that even machinery takes advantage of the Internet and digital technology to track performance and usage to improve efficiencies.
Along with the standard a new ISO technical report (TR) has just been published to help manufacturers prepare for and mitigate these risks.
“Increasing the speed or force of a machine to dangerous levels, or lowering cooking temperatures to result in food contamination, are just some examples of where cyber-attacks can not only disrupt manufacturing but pose serious risks to us,” the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) said in a statement.
Smart” manufacturing, or that which takes advantage of Internet and digital technology, allows for seamless production and integration across the entire value chain. It also allows for parameters – such as speed, force and temperature – to be controlled remotely.
The benefits are many, including being able to track performance and usage and improved efficiencies.
Otto Görnemann, chair of the ISO technical committee in charge of the technical report, said ISO/TR 22100-4 will help machine manufacturers integrate the relationship between cybersecurity and machine safety.
He said it covers aspects such as the types of components that could be potential targets for cyber security attacks, the design of the machine to minimize vulnerability to such attacks and information for the machine operator on possible threats.
Industry is in a process of rapid and radical change, as topics like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning continue to make inroads into connected industry.
Running under the lead theme of "Industrial Intelligence", HANNOVER MESSE 2019 will zero in on this trend.
From April 1-5, around 6,500 companies from 75 nations will be exhibiting at the Hannover trade fair for industrial technology in Germany.
Global corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises and startups alike will all be showcasing their components and system solutions for tomorrow's industrial production and energy systems.
This includes providers of automation, robotics, industrial software, drive systems and fluid power technology, energy technologies and subcontracting.
Deutsche Messe managing board chair, Dr. Jochen Köckler, said HANNOVER MESSE is the world's only platform to highlight the way mechanical and electrical engineering components and systems mesh with the digital technologies offered by software and IT companies.
"It is the only place where visitors from the production and energy industries can get a panorama view of the future of industry,” he said.
"Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize industry.
"In the future, AI technologies will be used to control connected production plants and continuously improve systems, all the while increasing quality standards, as manufacturing processes become increasingly flexible and cost-efficient," Köckler said.
“Industrial companies are increasingly taking advantage of innovative digital technologies, employing data analysis to gain relevant insights into optimization potential, to enhance existing products by adding new digital services or launch completely new business models on the market.
"Machine learning and artificial intelligence play a key role here by linking data from different sources, predicting errors and solving problems.”