With emerging technologies like Industry 4.0 and IIoT, it is evident that industrial systems are more connected than ever. This connectivity increases efficiency and allows better supervision over our control systems. It improves and allows preventive maintenance and remote troubleshooting. However, it also widens the attack surface and brings a variety of IT risks.
As industrial automation systems become more connected, industrial network security has become just as important as machine performance. Protecting PLCs, HMIs, and industrial communication networks helps reduce downtime, improve reliability, and defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
Why Industrial Network Security Matters
Through phishing, malware, and ransomware, an exposed system with weak protections can bring production to a halt via a single vulnerability. The consequences extend beyond lost productivity, potentially impacting worker safety, operational continuity, and the valuable people who make up your workforce.
In today’s threat landscape, any gap in security can become an entry point for exploitation within an industrial network. The reality of these risks is evident in the severity of real-world incidents where cyberattacks have disrupted industrial operations and caused significant consequences.
Stuxnet and The Emergence of a New Vulnerability
One of the most notable examples highlighting the importance of cybersecurity in industrial environments is Stuxnet, a sophisticated cyberattack that demonstrated the potential for malware to cause real-world disruption to critical infrastructure. The Stuxnet worm, discovered in 2010, was the first worm known to have the ability to target SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition). Stuxnet specifically targeted Siemens control devices, and would infiltrate the network, mask its presence, then overwork centrifuge devices until they failed, all while reporting incorrect information to the monitors. The idea was to disrupt the usage of centrifuges in Nuclear facilities. This worm relied on something called a “zero-day vulnerability” which is a weakness that has not yet been identified.
Unitronics and The Attacks by ‘Cyber Av3ngers’
Several years later, another significant cybersecurity incident emerged. This new threat targeted HMIs manufactured by Unitronics and was attributed to the group “CyberAv3ngers”. The attackers in this case, altered the user interfaces to display unintended information, and prevent the overall usage of the system.
In response, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) released a recommendation to change the configuration of passwords, enforce multi-factor authentication, and back up the configurations to reduce downtime.
The Mitigation of Security Risks in Industrial Environments
The scenarios mentioned above are examples that highlight how devices and networks in an industrial environment can be exploited and interfere with the flow of business. So, what steps can you take to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident occurring at your facility?
- Network Segmentation: As mentioned in our article on networking in an industrial environment, segmenting your networks benefits your network security. If a specific vulnerability in your environment is discovered, then it is possible that only a fraction of your operations will be affected.
- Enforce Access Control: Organize who can or cannot use your devices and use individual authentication to ensure password leakage is minimized.
- Update Your Systems: Keeping systems up-to-date and ensuring that vulnerabilities are patched regularly will allow devices to keep up with the ever-evolving security landscape. Keep in mind though that updates can be time-consuming and should be scheduled to keep operations running smoothly.
- Restrict Remote Access: When possible, avoid open public connections to your facility’s private networks. In addition, while remote access may be required for your company, utilize VPNs and establish more secure channels for employees to access the production environment.
- Monitor the Activity: Keep thorough logs and configure alerts for unexpected or unusual behavior on your networks.
How Modern HMIs Improve Industrial Network Security
How can modern HMIs support the configuration of more advanced network security? One such example is the cMT X series from Weintek, which offers a suite of features that can help improve the quality of your network’s security:
- Access Control: Some of the latest HMIs implement the usage of RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) which ensures users can only access the functions necessary for that role.
- Project Security: Through the use of password schemes, project keys, and secure settings programmers can restrict download or upload access, prevent decompilation, or prevent operation if the wrong project is loaded.
- Encrypted Access: Encrypted access protects data transferred to or from the device. This data could be a project transfer, a control command, and another critical change. It is important to look for options like TLS, AES-256, and HTTPS support to ensure data can be securely transferred to the device.
- Dual Ethernet Ports: The inclusion of dual ethernet ports separates traffic between different network segments.
- Encrypted Cloud Connectivity: Support for .X509 certificates helps to ensure that your component meets TLS 1.2 encryption standards and that your data can be sent to the cloud securely.
Final Thoughts
Overall, modern HMIs offer many benefits to the security and reliability of networks in industrial environments. The importance of keeping your private networks secure cannot be understated as the landscape of cybersecurity is changing daily. Following best practice and learning from past experiences also keeps administrators and businesses ahead of the curve when it comes to cyber attacks. Thankfully, modern HMIs have developed features that cooperate with these practices in the hopes of keeping your networks secure.
If you’re new to industrial communication networks, start with our guide to Industrial Networking Principles before diving into cybersecurity best practices.
Key Takeaways:
- Supporting multiple protocols is essential for meeting strict application needs.
- The protocol chosen should always reflect the structure, processing speed, and feature requirements of the application.