To achieve operational resilience, more businesses are focusing on transitioning to digitalised operations. As countless sensors and machines are being introduced, we are witnessing industrial networks evolving to sustain the growing number of connected devices and digital applications. However, as this is mostly unfamiliar territory, industrial organisations must overcome several hurdles before they can actualise the value that next-generation industrial networks offer. In this article, Moxa shares three essential tips to help tackle these challenges.
Tip 1: Make network reliability a top priority
Uninterrupted operation is an important component of industrial activity. Without a doubt, reliability is a fundamental criterion for sustainable operations. However, when OT networks move to a more open architecture, more devices will be connected and communicating with each other over the same network, increasing system complexity exponentially. Any delay or data loss can lead to costly system downtime. The impact of unstable or broken connections on business is now larger than ever. Therefore, building robust network reliability should be a primary goal.
To ensure a smooth transition to smart power infrastructure, deploying rugged network devices is necessary to ensure maximum uptime in very demanding operating environments, including extreme temperatures and high electromagnetic interference. Moxa also recommends integrating robust redundancy mechanisms as an insurance policy to avoid interruptions and minimise recovery times, since any packet loss might affect the performance and stability of the substation systems.
Having an effective redundancy network in place can enable substations to operate automatically and achieve real-time communication. This makes it possible, for example, for one substation to take over if another one is disabled due to external factors such as severe weather. The resulting network dependability helps ensure reliable communication with zero packet loss and instant network recovery times.
Tip 2: Prioritise secure networking solutions purpose-built for OT
In recent years, the number of cybersecurity attacks in the OT field has soared. Considering that most production information of critical applications is confidential and often relevant to public welfare and safety, OT engineers are under pressure to keep their systems intelligent and secure at the same time. However, simply deploying IT cybersecurity technologies in industrial applications is not ideal.
One of the most common pieces of feedback from OT engineers is that IT cybersecurity mechanisms can hinder the efficiency of industrial communication. For instance, an IT secure remote connection service may not be able to connect to a PLC in an OT environment and set up different access control rules to enhance security. Therefore, combining purpose-built OT networks and cybersecurity measures is essential for minimising any potential threat and maintaining continuous operations.
Cyberthreats are always the top concern when considering remote connections in industrial applications. To protect critical data, Moxa strongly recommends implementing end-to-end encryption to secure incoming and outgoing data streams during a remote access session, and to prevent data leaks.
Furthermore, to protect the system from unauthorised access, on-demand access control mechanisms can help determine whether remote connection requests should be allowed or rejected. For example, with account-based access control, users can specify which clients can access which machine, ensuring only authorised personnel can connect to critical assets such as PLCs.
Lastly, it’s also recommended to choose secure networking tools purpose-built for OT that allow technical staff with limited IT knowledge to easily set up remote access. Straightforward and user-friendly tools suitable for OT engineers can reduce cost and provide better system-side protection.
Tip 3: Choose management solutions that offer full network and security visibility
When the number of connected devices increases from a few dozen to several hundred or more, it becomes increasingly hard to manually manage such complex networks with minimum downtime. A single point of failure could significantly affect the entire OT infrastructure and even IT networking systems. Therefore, ensuring maximum uptime to keep businesses running smoothly and enjoying the benefits of digital transformation is a critical but daunting task.
To manage these interconnected, and sometimes distributed, network devices efficiently, having clear network visualisation from a central location is essential to efficiently configure devices and maintain systems on a large scale. It allows you to quickly respond to issues and maximise network uptime.
Network and security management is complicated. It’s important to have a holistic view of your network infrastructure to quickly respond to issues, maximise network uptime and ensure all networking devices are protected. Moxa’s recommendation is to choose intuitive industrial network and security management software to configure, monitor and diagnose the network remotely at any time. Especially for distributed networks that span large physical areas, having the ability to remotely manage devices from a central location can save a lot of resources and time. This way, technicians can more easily manage the network and keep track of the security status, allowing them to react immediately as soon as something malfunctions.
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