IT AND HARDWARE
BEYOND DATA BREACH AND TOWARDS CYBER RESILIENCE In doing business online, multi-dimensional challenges have come from an increasingly sophisticated cyberspace landscape with hackers, ransomware and malicious attacks being part of the package.
of the 2020 Virtual Cyberweek conference in October. It was attended by at least 600 virtual participants and sponsored by industry leaders in energy, communications, logistics, transport, health, security and manufacturing.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) which monitors this activity records a cybercrime every 10 minutes, highlighting the need for business to ensure their systems are secure.
The conference was told that maintaining stringent security online and digital trust had become front of mind, with calls to make it an urgent priority in the coming year.
More than a third of the incidents reported are related to federal and state government bodies – a serious problem, given government is responsible for the delivery of the country’s critical infrastructure, electricity, communications, water, education and health. In the financial year ending June 2020, ACSC responded to 2266 cyber security incidences, averaging 164 cybercrime reports per day, including a severe Category 1 attack involving the “sustained targeting of Australian governments and companies by a sophisticated state-based actor”, believed to be China. As a result, the government announced a $1.35 billion Cyber Enhanced Situational Awareness and Response (CESAR) package to boost protection and cyber resilience for all Australians. The main focus of CESAR is to improve advanced detection of widespread cybercrime campaigns and facilitate sharing of cyber security advice to Australians, as well as forecasting threat intelligence. A serious need for industry preparedness against a cyber attack became a main focus
As data breaches become bigger or more common, digital trust becomes a valuable commodity. Increasingly, businesses are waking up to the idea that healthy security enables good business and customer loyalty.
“clearly shows that trust is fleeting if organisations do not do their due diligence to protect consumer data from getting into the wrong hands”. “Now, more than ever, business need to understand that success in the digital economy requires a security-first mindset… and organisations owe it to their customers and shareholders to get it right,” the company said.
From overseas, the Global State of Online Digital Trust Survey and Index 2018 from US CA Technologies shows that “taking security and privacy seriously can have a positive financial impact beyond avoiding costly breaches”.
At the 2020 Cyberweek Virtual Conference there was general acknowledgement that a great user experience meant addressing business customers’ need for security and privacy.
The report surveyed consumers, cyber security professionals and business executives, which highlighted consumers’ lack of confidence in the way organisations collect, store and use their digital information.
A hypothetical cyber security scenario, as part of the segment wrapping up the conference, pointed to the need to increase digital trust, as well as ramp up preparedness during cyber attacks.
It found that “consumer digital trust in Australian organisations ranked the lowest in the world (54 points out of 100)”, compared to the US at 61 points, for example.
The Australian Information Security Association sponsored the hypothetical scenario event, which was addressed by a panel of experts from Toll Holdings Group Information Security, Cohealth, Cybersecurity Siemens Digital Industries and the Australian Energy Market Operator.
In Australia, IT security professionals (73 per cent) and business executives (50 per cent) both admitted to using consumer data containing personally identifiable information. CA Technologies say that the study
The recommendations at the end of the discussion and the hypothetical scenario included:
1. Recognition that cyberspace attacks have real and serious impact on the physical environment of business operations, for example on logistics, transport, supply chains and business operations and efficiency. According to Serge Mailett, the head of cyber security at Siemens Digital Industries (Australia and NZ), it’s a lot like “having an insurance policy”. “I don’t think we can really afford as a business to just respond after an attack has happened.,” he said. “At that time it’s really a little too late. Prevention is better than cure and that applies also from a cyber safety perspective.” 2. That value chains in business, which impacts on supply chains, are related to each other. The interconnectedness of an online-based environment was a focus in the hypothetical; urging strong suggestions from the panel that all sectors need to come together in strengthening cyber security infrastructures, information and skills learning exchanges. 3. Recognition from industry and business that due to serious impact of cyber attacks on effective operation, a cyber security policy and strategy is essential not only for quick response but also for mitigation and prevention of subsequent attacks.
SHINING BRIGHT: TURCK EXPANDS TX700 HMI/PLC INTERFACE OPTIONS Automation and interface technology specialist Turck has unveiled new options for its TX700 family.
(TX700HB, High Brightness). The FB devices are available in 7” and 15” screen diagonals and the HB variants in 7” and 10” screen diagonals.
As an expert in sensor, fieldbus, and connectivity – as well as interface technology, human-machine interfaces (HMI) and RFID systems, Turck leads the way, making them ideal for modern automation systems in a wide range of industries.
The FB devices were developed to comply with hygienic design requirements (DIN EN1672-2, EHEDG/FDA 21 CFR 177.2006) and come with a stainless-steel front with a polyester coating.
Turck’s new programmable TX700 series of HMI/PLCs has a range of available communication interfaces ranging from Modbus RTU to OPC-UA and support for a variety of industrial Ethernet field buses. It now offer special versions of its TX700 HMI/PLC devices with two new variants for food and beverage applications (TX700FB, Food & Beverage) and two variants with high brightness displays for sunlight readability
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The device front has been designed with protection to IP69K so that the devices are waterproof at high pressure up to 80 °C. The FB products are also resistant to acids and chemicals. The HB devices with their extra bright display up to 800 Cd/m² are particularly suitable for outdoor applications. The displays are manufactured with liquid bonding (LOCA) – a screen bonding process
that improves screen contrast and increases brightness through reduced reflection and refraction. The HB devices with the full metal housing are resistant to mechanical influences. The TX700 family uses multicore processors at an operating frequency of 800 MHz and a modern Linux based platform. This makes it possible to implement complex control tasks and visualizations. The TX700’s all-glass capacitive touch display provides intuitive operation with gesture control similar to that used in smartphones, increasing flexibility. With their range of interfaces, the TX700 units offer versatile use for visualization and control in distributed applications such as at conveyors and other automated applications. Alarm and system visualisation is easy, and
overall system complexity is reduced through the single device functioning as both the HMI interface and logic controller. The TX100, TX200, TX500 and TX700 device series enables Turck to offer a flexible range of HMI devices for visualisation, as well as HMIs with Codesys PLCs and a cloud connection, thus opening up the possibility of new application fields. Turck 1300 132 566 www.turck.com.au
NOVEMBER 2020
