TRENDING
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“
INDUSTRY 4.0 IS
ON THE HORIZON AND IT
WILL BRING US GREATER
CONNECTIVITY ACROSS A
MULTITUDE OF PLATFORMS
AND EQUIPMENT.
machinery tends to have long lifespans and the cost of replacement
can be prohibitive. Patching the systems can also be intricate, making
it difficult for equipment to be properly secured from attack.
“Industry 4.0 is on the horizon and it will bring us greater connectivity
across a multitude of platforms and equipment,” added Siriniwasa.
“This security gap with RF remote controllers poses a massive
security risk for a great number of businesses and government
18
INTELLIGENTCIO
institutions. And, it’s often an area that is grossly overlooked when
it comes to cybersecurity.”
System integrators can begin by making their clients aware of the
weak points in RF and encourage them to adopt virtual fencing
features, which effectively switches off the devices once they are
out of range. This cuts down the possibility of a remote attack;
however, a hacker on site or in range could still gain access through a
transmitter and launch an attack.
Increasing security means most likely turning away from proprietary
RF protocols and adopting open and standard protocols. It is also
important to make sure that configurable pairing is also available
before purchasing any device.
“Changing the fixed ID code every now and again is also a
good idea,” said Sirinwasa. “If possible, it’s best to keep the
programming computer off the network and failing that, securing
it in the same way you would a critical end point. Bluetooth Low
Energy is something else to adopt and tamper proof mechanisms
also go a long way to prevent reverse engineering. As we fast
approach the future of digital industry, security needs to be a
foremost concern.” n
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