Data Security Considerations in Modern Automation Networks

The automation manufacturing business has reached its turning point and manufacturers are forced to create new business areas. Their expertise about field devices will be the source for future growth of automation industry. This includes monitoring, maintenance, data analysis and process tuning which all require good remoting capabilities in order to be successfully and cost efficiently applied as a service for production plants. This trend builds new challenges for automation services support systems. They are forced to adapt into global business model where customers utilise network connections from old modem lines into modern mobile communication networks. ”Information is power” therefore securing production and other process related information systems in modern automation networks is becoming a necessity. The resent headlines have proven that automation systems are becoming more vulnerable with the inclusion of standard office and Internet technologies into the automation networks. The only way to meet the security challenges in a global scale is to build the the connectivity using secure-by-desing methodology.