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Security guide for implementing secure industrial networks

26th October 2015

Belden

Jordan Mulcare

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Belden has published the ICS Security Guide to Hirschmann Switches for implementing secure industrial networks. In the automation industry, both equipment and control systems as well as office IT are increasingly networked via switches. This is because continuous communication accelerates production, reduces costs, and can increase the efficiency of business operations. Cyber-attacks like Stuxnet have shown, however, that equipment and control systems can be infiltrated and manipulated, and control systems are particularly at risk due to the networking of industrial environments with office IT.

The ICS Security Guide to Hirschmann Switches, based on a model by TÜV SÜD Rail, provides 128 pages of practical explanations of how to determine security requirements for industrial networks, create a complete security concept, and integrate Hirschmann switches with a secure configuration. Both system designers and users who want reliable protection for their data communication can benefit from this guide. Switches offer a variety of communication options and provide smooth data exchange. For this reason, they are used to connect and integrate relevant end-devices in a number of industries, such as the energy sector, rail sector, or automation sector.

Their use can be divided into two scenarios: "On the one hand, switches can be integrated in an overall system, such as a transformer substation, and on the other, in individual machines and equipment," explains Mark Cooksley, Product Manager. "In both cases, they contribute to data availability, integrity, and confidentiality, and therefore facilitate secure production processes." The extensive security functions of Hirschmann switches are not enabled as standard when they are delivered. This is because there is no universal configuration that would suit all applications. Specialist IT knowledge is needed to configure the switches individually, and this is expertise that on-site personnel often lacks.