Online Security – Tech Companies Selling Protection Against IoT Cyber Attacks
TOKYO -- Hitachi and other companies here and abroad are marketing security systems that repel cyber attacks targeting interconnected industrial equipment , an increasingly attractive target for hackers due to their vulnerabilities .
Slated for release next year , Hitachi ' s systems will ensure the security of control systems for equipment found in plants , railways , power stations and other locations . Data exchanged between control devices will be monitored . Once irregular operations or other early signs of a cyber attack are detected , the system automatically cuts off access .
Hitachi will sell software that can be installed in existing systems , and also dedicated equipment that links up to a company ' s internal network . The Tokyo-based technology company will first make the solutions available in Japan before expanding overseas .
NEC has begun a consulting service that tests the cyber security of control systems overseeing plants , water supplies and gas lines . Clients will receive advice on how to beef up defenses . Fees start at 4 million yen ($ 35,000 ). General Electric is also offering equipment that monitors control systems , through a group company .
The market is growing rapidly for industrial ecosystems regulated by the " internet of things ," which connects devices via networks . Global sales of related services and equipment are projected to reach $ 123.8 billion in 2021 , tripling from the 2015 level , data from Indian marketing research firm Industry ARC shows .
But risks of cyber attacks on these smart systems are emerging worldwide . They are considered easier to infiltrate than servers and computers , which usually come with protection software . Israeli internet security company Check Point Software Technologies reported discovering an