On 4 November, Rob Wright, MD of RJ Connect, gave an informative presentation on the subject of cybersecurity to Durban branch members and anyone else who joined the open invitation Microsoft Teams meeting.
Rob showed how Industry 4.0 brings opportunities, but it also brings cybersecurity threats, which require careful management of the infrastructure and procedures to avoid people’s actions becoming a threat because of potential introduction of harmful code.
Rob Wright.
That code can easily be introduced if proper controls are not in place. For example, if activities such as software updates are permitted to be done by third parties using unchecked equipment, malware can be introduced with serious consequences to plant operation. Such events can prove costly, as shown by examples of the harm done by Stuxnet, Industroyer, Wannacry and LockerGoga, which between them caused four major events, at least one of which showed that a firewall by itself does not provide adequate protection.
We were also reminded that, globally, there are many applications still based on Windows 7. The vulnerability of those systems is increasing annually, so users need to review their vulnerability and take protective action. Patching for legacy system networks is possible if done carefully with the overall network architecture being taken into consideration.
An interesting question and answer session followed, showing that the information had been thought provoking, despite the light hearted and entertaining nature of the presentation. The branch thanks Rob and RJ Connect for sharing this knowledge and experience with us.
SAIMC: Cape Town branch February 2021, SAIMC
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