The rocky relationship between safety and security
This webcast examines best practices for avoiding common cause failure and preventing cyber security attacks in an age of open systems and system integration.
Now available for viewing on-demand.
Original broadcast was Nov. 6, 2012; runtime with question and answer session is one hour.
Click here to register.
In this day of open systems and integrated industrial networks, does your safety system still maintain an acceptable level of separation? Can it protect your process from cyber attacks? International safety standards (i.e. IEC 61508) press the need for independence among the multiple protection layers on an industrial site "…the EUC control system shall be independent from the E/E/PE safety-related systems and other risk reduction measures…" But does this still happen in real life? Digital safety systems (electronic/programmable electronic systems) typically have communication ports with support for open protocols, such as Modbus RTU, in order to provide diagnostics and other information relevant for running the process.
Users have connected (interfaced) safety systems to BPCS since mid 1980s and aimed to develop tighter connectivity at least since 1995, but these efforts were based on proprietary protocols until the adoption of open network protocols and Windows on industrial control systems increased the connectivity to business systems and at the same (at least in theory) exposed them to the same issues (virus, cyber attacks, etc).
This Webcast will discuss the methods used to ensure that the integration between the safety system and the BPCS DO NOT compromise Functional Independence and the best practices to secure an industrial system and in particular safety systems in this integrated environment.
- Luis Durán, Product Marketing Manager Safety System, Control Technologies/Process Automation, ABB
- Greg Hale, Editor/Founder, Industrial Safety and Security Source and Event Moderator
Sponsored by: ABB