Groundbreaking innovations in mass production defined the last century of global economic growth. This revolution continues into the current century with the use of increasingly connected and automated industrial devices. But with more extensive networks of Industry 4.0 come bigger risks for cyberattacks. Without a powerful Industry 4.0 cybersecurity system, smart manufacturing and other industrial operations could come to a complete halt.

In this article, we are going over cybersecurity challenges and proposed recommendations in the industrial sector covering three main groups - people, processes, and technologies.

IT/OT cybersecurity difficulties, such as a shortage of information, competence, and awareness, are the major barriers that hinder the adoption of Industry 4.0 security measures. People in charge of deploying new solutions often lack knowledge or expertise of either OT or IT security, and appropriately skilled employees are hard to find.

Moreover, manufacturing companies often lag in training employees who work with IT/OT equipment, and when they do, such training is not thorough enough or tailored to the organization's industry needs.

It's crucial to raise awareness around basic industrial control security and to find a way to safely transition to Industry 4.0 and Smart manufacturing. Persons in charge should invest in proper cybersecurity training, while schools and universities should teach courses on these subjects to younger generations. Improving our education around these matters will further promote a better understanding of Industry 4.0 security.

Another challenge is that Industry 4.0 operators, who are at various stages of adopting new technologies, often deal with incomplete organizational policies. Also, it is often the case that the organizations’ leaders are reluctant to invest funds into security. This results in a lack of resilience and vulnerability to security breaches.

Organizations need to look at cybersecurity as a vital investment in solutions that secure every aspect of their operation, not as an added cost. Otherwise, the consequences can be devastating.

One of the challenges for this group is poorly defined liability over the lifecycle of Industry 4.0 products. In the context of cybersecurity, manufacturers are expected to implement functionalities in their products that enable a proper level of security. In the same fashion, Industry 4.0 operators are expected to perform all security upgrades provided by the manufacturer. In reality, the question of where liability falls is complicated.

The solution would be to define the liability between various stakeholders of the Industry 4.0 supply chain, such as manufacturers, developers, providers, vendors, etc.

Another challenge is the fragmentation of Industry 4.0 security technical standards. When it comes to Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, comprehensive initiatives for addressing security in a holistic manner are lagging behind. There is a need for systematic guidelines for implementing the recommendations proposed in Industry 4.0 security standards and guidelines. To address this issue, it is vital to systematize relevant efforts wherever there are significant gaps and overlaps.

Supply chain management is also a challenge for the manufacturing sector. With the introduction of Smart Manufacturing, supply chains became more dynamic, flexible, interdependent, and demanding in terms of performance. This interdependence of supply chains can result in a wider impact caused by existing and new security risks. Scalability is a significant concern due to the large numbers of people, organizations, and processes that are involved. With so many actors involved, security risks can happen at any stage of the process.

The solution is a shared responsibility. Collaboration is essential, and trust is the root of a secure supply chain.

The main challenge of this group is securing the interoperability of Industry 4.0 devices, platforms, and frameworks. The difficulty lies in connecting different business process systems, even more so when there are no systems at all. With so many platforms, protocols, and frameworks, ensuring a unifying, common cybersecurity layer across all these elements is a very challenging issue.

The lack of technical capabilities of connected industrial devices and systems poses another challenge. Also, dedicated cybersecurity tools are generally too few or too expensive, which limits their availability. Identifying security recommendations based on risk analysis is the first step to solving the technical constraints of this domain.

Interruption of any link in the industrial chain can throw off production and affect profits. Therefore, ensuring manufacturing security while preserving functionality is vital. If you want to learn more about cybersecurity challenges in the industrial ecosystem and the potential preventive solutions, get in touch !