Four Phases To Guard Plant Control System Networks From Cyber Threats

Honeywell announced the formation of the Industrial IT Solutions group, a global team of experts who can help manufacturers and process industry facilities protect against cyber threats.

The Industrial IT Solutions group, part of Honeywell Process Solutions specialises in the design, performance assessment and protection of networks used in the process industry, including wireless instrument and SCADA platforms. Its offerings will provide a range of vendor-neutral technology and services required to assess, remediate, maintain and manage plant automation network performance, vulnerabilities and cyber security measures.

“Automation network security and performance has become a critical component of plant safety in the process industries,” said Jon Lippin, Vice President and General Manager, Honeywell Lifecycle Solutions and Services for Honeywell Process Solutions. As control networks continue to expand and integrate to business systems, the risks and complexity of cyber vulnerabilities must be addressed with the same vigilance as process safety risks assessments.

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“Honeywell has invested in building the Industrial IT Solutions practice to help industrial plant, pipeline and asset owners stay ahead of the threats, regardless of control system vendor or location. We provide a scalable approach to managing all aspects of today’s industrial control system networks,” Lippin added.

Comprised of network and security-certified professionals, the Industrial IT Solutions group focuses on four key activities:

1. Assessing a plant’s assets against industry standards, regulatory requirements and best practices

2. Remediating issues identified in the assessment phase with a custom-designed program

3. Managing the plant’s industrial IT investment with support, training, and services such as network security administration, anti-virus management, and patch management

4. Maintaining the plant’s solutions through programs such as performance and security monitoring, change management, monthly status reporting, and other related services.