Manufacturers have labored for years to create safer workplaces for employees. The task has been fraught with tension, as employers search for the perfect path between safety and cost. Now the forces of change have aligned to create a new challenge: safeguarding not only the people in the plant, but also the technology that runs critical production systems. Industrial cyber-security is the new plant safety.
That quest gained ground recently with the announcement that Byres Security will team up with Hirschmann, a specialist in industrial network connectivity, to deliver more secure automation connectivity. Hirschmann is a subsidiary of Belden, which markets signal transmission technology that is integral to plant floor communications.
“[BSI’s] deep expertise in the area of industrial security and their proven ability to deliver pragmatic solutions will add value to our Hirschmann range of automation and networking systems,” said Mark Cooksley, product manager for network security at Belden, in a statement.
The agreement will produce new security-based offerings later this year and appears to portend a time when all automation technology providers will follow suit and bake rugged IT protection into their products.