In the decade before Stuxnet attacked process control systems in Iran, there were just five known supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) vulnerabilities for all control systems in the world, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT). In 2011, the year after Stuxnet, that vulnerability count jumped to more than 215. Last year, it reached 248. No surprise then that Chemical makers are increasingly focusing on protecting their process control systems from intrusion both from the inside and outside. In this Chemical Processing Special Report: Protect Process Control Systems, we take a look at:
How to better protect your control system - "Defense in depth" is crucial, and new and maturing technologies may help
Cyber Security Challenges - learn about countermeasures to protect control systems
Case Study: A vulnerability assessment reveals critical gaps in the security of a natural gas pipeline
How to mitigate security risks in legacy process control systems - several steps can help protect against threats and extend the life of legacy equipment
Learn how to secure your process control systems - and your plant. Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Special Report: Protect Process Control Systems now.
Know Your TCO: A look at Medium Voltage VFDs
Medium voltage VFDs are high cost, high consideration assets that greatly improve process control and efficiency in manufacturing facilities. It is vital that you and your company understand the TCO of this asset. Download the white paper for more information.
Special Report: Making the Most of Migration
Perhaps the most critical challenge facing the automation industry is that of aging control systems at or near the end of their product lifecycles. A legacy control system can suffer from technical, functional or supply obsolescence. With a well-planned and executed control system migration, however, plants can improve availability and reliability, while increasing production flexibility. In this Chemical Processing Special Report: Making the Most of Migration, we take a look at: Obsolescence planning – addressing concerns and planning for a successful evolution strategy; Restoration Possibilities – how new tools and innovative methods support and breath new life into aging distributed control systems; DCS Migration; More!
Download your copy of this Chemical Processing Special Report: Making the Most of Migration now!
No More Risky Business With Virtual Patching
Patching process control system software to remove security vulnerabilities is fraught with risk. System issues can be the result of installing a patch, but a system is also vulnerable without patching. Fortunately, virtual patching can improve the process and raise the system’s security at the same time.
Benefits of State Based Control
State Based Control is a plant automation control design based on the principle that all process facilities operate in recognized, definable Process States that represent a
variety of normal and abnormal conditions of the process. State Based Control, implemented with the latest developments in object-based technologies, delivers
direct benefits to its adopters in a variety of Operational Excellence categories. It results in productivity increases, higher asset utilization of both people and process,
automated responses and recovery for abnormal conditions and provides an environment for knowledge capture directly into the control design.
David Huffman, ABB Inc.
Using Operator Interfaces to Optimize Performance of Industrial Wireless Networks
The performance of wireless networks can change over time due to increased performance demands, changes in the radio frequency (RF) environment and changes in the physical environment. This article will explore the use of a wireless diagnostic OLE for Process Control (OPC) server technology to embed diagnostic information in human machine interfaces (HMIs), thus optimizing industrial wireless network performance.
Jim Ralston, Wireless Sales Engineer, ProSoft Tech...
Intelligent Rotary Control Valve
NELES rotary control valves with Q-Trim have greater capacity than comparable globe-style linear valves with noise reduction trims widening rangeability, reducing weight and valve dimensions, and a 50% cost reduction compared to linear valves of comparable Cv. NELES rotary control valves from Metso Automation. Intelligent Reliability leads to Intelligent Results.
IT Security for Process Control Using Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7
Ensuring the security of industrial control systems is hardly a new topic. The earliest users of modern control systems in power stations and chemical plants saw the need to protect access to vital control functions from unauthorized use. Similarly, in industries such as fine chemical or pharmaceutical
where the process is the product, manufacturers have always sought to protect the secrets of their unique processes from the prying eyes of industrial spies. This white paper by ARC describes how the Siemens AG PCS7 Security Concept bundles key security measures in seveal specific areas to create a deep hierarchy of security known as defense in depth.
ARC Advisory Group
Securing Batch Control Systems
Batch process control security is becoming a critical concern for the process control domain, IT technology infrastructure and the business enterprise. This paper explores several key security concerns in batch control system architectures and methods for addressing these issues.
White Paper: Internet Access in a Process Control Environment
Industrial automation is no longer limited by the walls of a production facility. More and more automation is being handled via remote communication, whether its from the office or from the comfort of your own home. Todays PLCs give you the ability to access your control system to
handle such tasks as monitoring via a website to determine the condition of a machine or check other statistics.
Wago Innovative Connections
Process Control Network Security - Reference Architecture
This document describes best practices for the reference architecture for a process control system network and its interfaces to a corporate network. The papers objective is to give the reader an understanding of the techniques utilized to securely connect these networks.
Specifying industrial fieldbus networks for automation
Automation designers face many challenges and tradeoffs in the development of a successful network solution. This white paper discusses the necessary choices in selecting a network technology appropriate for various specific applications.
How to control a process with long dead time
A process with a large dead time presents a special challenge for a controller -- any controller. This short paper explains how to get the best control of large dead time processes.
Level measurement of bulk solids and powders
This 26-page white paper from Monitor Technologies discusses the difficulties in measuring bulk solids and powders in bins, silos and hoppers. Download this document to learn which technologies are out there that can make this job easier.
Ziegler-Nichols Tuning Rules And Limitations
The standard reference for PID tuning seems to be the Ziegler-Nichols tuning rules developed in 1942 on a pneumatic controller. Here is how to tune a controller using these rules.
Achieve 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance
This technical white paper discusses Yokogawas CENTUM CS 3000 R3 DCS (Distributed Control System) product and the extent of its compliance with Part 11 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR Part 11), the Electronic Records/Electronic Signatures Rule.