The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its May technology meeting a week later than usual due to the 1 May public holiday. It was well attended, and it was great to see some new faces there.
Johan Huisame from RJ Connect gave an interesting and enlightening presentation entitled: ‘An insecure network is an unreliable network – defend your industrial networks’. He is a senior field application engineer who has been with RJ Connect for seven years, and is a certified Moxa support engineer, so he was well qualified to present to the audience in attendance.
He began his presentation by stressing that to optimise operational efficiency in modern industrial automation systems, network convergence between OT and IT is imperative. While streamlining OT/IT networks unlocks the potential of industrial systems, it also raises network security concerns. It is a particular concern for those OT systems that used to be air gapped, but must still protect network communications without interrupting operations. To realise the advantages of industrial automation network and cybersecurity, a holistic approach needs to be applied.
Security hardened and certified devices represent only the first step towards implementing a secure and reliable network. Network segmentation is also crucial for isolating security-related threats, and providing more flexibility to apply rules and conduits for data to pass through. Real-time network visibility is critical for industrial automation systems, not only from an operational stance, but also from a security point of view. Intrusion prevention and detection then becomes integral in providing higher levels of security and protection. Lastly, centralised security management to monitor real-time security-related events and configure and maintain security policies in the network would then round out the security of your network. He finished by posing the question: “Is your network reliable if it’s not secure?”
The evening concluded with a delicious dinner and some convivial networking. The Durban branch management team would like to thank RJ Connect for its kind sponsorship and informative presentation.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC was pleased to welcome Vusi Sithole, managing member of Hybrid Control Corporation in Richards Bay, who presented\on the very pertinent topic of ‘Infrastructure monitoring and control for water loss management’.
Read more...SAIMC: Sunshine, swings and smiles: Durban Golf Day hits a high note Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
SAIMC
We say it every year, and we’ll say it again: May in Durban is hard to beat; but 9 May, when the Durban Golf Day teed off at Kloof Country Club, was something else. With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 20s, it was a fantastic day, full of fun and great energy.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council KS4I event: Bridging the industry/education divide
SAIMC
Horst Weinert, head of Didactic at Festo Southern/Eastern Africa, will be sharing some of Festo’s Didactic experiences of working across industry and education. He will cover training for productivity and employability in the public and private sectors, discussing especially the potential for inter-company training centres.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The local Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC recently hosted a Technology Evening at Bryanston Sports Club on 9 April 2025.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The April technology meeting for the Durban branch of the SAIMC was kindly sponsored by ProRisk, a subsidiary company of the Proconics Group of Companies. Process safety engineer, Guillaume de Swardt gave a fascinating presentation on the power of operational risk control by utilising CFD software.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council KS4I event SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
The SAIMC User Advisory Council started 2025 with its first event in the ‘Knowlege Sharing 4 Industry’ event series on the 19th of March.
Read more...Knowledge Sharing 4 Industry
SAIMC
In proud partnership with Innomotics, SAIMC will be hosting the first Knowledge Sharing 4 Industry event for 2025.
Read more...Getting your OT data into the cloud – the why and the how
SAIMC
As users recognise the benefits of a digital transformation strategy for their industrial plants and systems and start to adopt it, they soon face the challenge of getting operational technology data securely and reliably to a cloud service provider of their choice.
General manager, Mark Calvert (right) thanking Johan Huisamen for his presentation.
printer friendly version