Dutch business and Operational Technology go hand in hand. So how does cybersecurity fit in?

The Dutch Industrial economy is doing well: revenues have been positive over the years; investments have been rising recently and companies contribute with a high share to the national income and to a significant number of employment opportunities. At the same time, the industrial economy has a relatively high dependence on export and the financial outlook is, given international tensions in the world, not always positive. The potential disruption of processes would immediately affect the competitive position of the Netherlands in international context.

We are in the middle of the next industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, also known as ‘Smart Factory’. This revolution is focused on hyperconnected, intelligent, self -learning and independent operational environments for the benefit of maximizing efficiency, costs, control and revenue. Where the last digital revolution focused on the shift from traditional IT processes and use of ICS to fully automated operational environments, this new revolution goes a step further. Industry 4.0 focuses on technological developments regarding optimization of production lines, predictive maintenance, climate neutral cyber-physical environments, improving efficiency with the use of IoT, BigData analytics and all kinds of Cloud services. It involves many integrations with machinery, equipment, ERP systems, sensor technology, ICS/SCADA-as-a-service, customer portals, and so forth. Many of these are connected to the internet.

Cybersecurity has a pivotal role in operational processes

Cybersecurity should be an essential element in defining or executing the new technology and innovation roadmap for organizations operating within the industrial economy. At the moment, where organizations improve their digitalization, where vendors can strengthen their support contracts with the use of remote access, where new ways of intelligent working are introduced, or where Internet of Things, smart sensors and all kinds of other technologies are applied - for the sake of ease, efficiency and cost control - this should be done with cybersecurity expertise in mind. Organizations must consider how to properly integrate cybersecurity into operational processes while keeping focus on the return of investment. Additionally, they must close the cultural gap in working with cybersecurity controls.

Nixu defines 4 essential elements to consider when integrating cybersecurity in the Industry segment:

• Connectivity                          : Always available, no disruptions, high-speed connectivity, increased use of IoT

• The use of apps                    : Custom production lines (inline technology), data ownership, protection of IP,                                                                     privacy, GDPR

• Human factor                        : Open, always connected, continuous attention for safety, but also for security

• Technology innovation      : Model based security, custom development, SCADA as-a-service models, data                                                                  analytics, Cloud, self-learning systems

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