Connecting Field to Base and Cloud
Whitepaper
This paper discusses the risks taken by connecting fielded equipment to central systems via the internet, including where the central applications are hosted in the public cloud.
Connecting anything to the internet brings risk, but for equipment placed in the field there are some additional things to consider. This paper starts by looking at the threats involved and the risks these bring. Then, the simple cyber defenses that are in common use today are examined to see how well they reduce the risk. The paper concludes these defenses are often inadequate and continues to discuss how better protection can be provided, by structuring gateways so that reliance on complex software is avoided and using the strength of hardware logic and cloud infrastructure to protect the gateway functions.
Connecting fielded systems to a central base and to the cloud is a risky business, but by avoiding reliance on complex software for protection it is possible to get the connectivity needed to realise the Industry 4.0 vision. Download for more.