Industrial security company Byres Security Inc. recently announced a new module for its flagship product for industrial networks using the OPC Classic communications protocol.
The Tofino OPC Enforcer firewall uses deep packet inspection technology that protects process control and SCADA systems better than a conventional firewall, the company said.
OPC, a common specification for exchanging data among programmable logic controllers (PLC), distributed control systems (DCS), and other control devices with HMI displays, has become more secure with the latest version called OPC-UA (unified architecture) However, older versions of the specification were designed before network security issues were widely understood. As a result, OPC Classic — which is installed in about 90% of all industrial networks — has been difficult to secure, until now, according to Byres.
The Tofino OPC Enforcer provides two important capabilities for inspecting, tracking, and securing every connection made by an OPC application: opening only the exact TCP port required for a connection between an OPC client and a server, and easy installation on the network using a drag-and-drop editor to select permitted clients and servers.