5 Fields of competence of a secure networked industry

IT and industry are inseparable in times of the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. "In the midst of absolute networking, current developments and changes, it is important to set up security in the best possible way, to anchor it just as firmly in the corporate structure as, for example, human resources management," says Thomas Lechner, Managing Director of 7Alliance company Inst-IT GmbH. 7Alliance covers all IT security tasks as an expert commission on specialized IT companies and thus creates the conditions for a secure networked industry.

7Alliance publishes below the most important areas of expertise for the secure combination of IT and industry:

Competence field 1 - optimal business management

Security can only be successfully established if the necessary infrastructures are deeply anchored in the company. Well thought-out and efficient business management as the basis for IT security primarily assigns responsibilities and thus ensures optimized processes in day-to-day operations.

Competence field 2 - consider individual requirements

Industrial companies are specializing more and more. Many task areas must therefore be taken over by external providers. Particularly at the interfaces, this puts the data material at enormous risk. It is essential to take these and similar individual requirements into account in the course of implementing effective security management. An experienced external consultant can help to set an important course.

Competence field 3 - Rehearsing the emergency

A secure industrial operation must meet high requirements. Rehearsing the emergency can open one's eyes to possible security gaps. A black building test, for example, shows at which point the safety chain is interrupted in the event of a power failure and thus relentlessly reveals possible gaps - even if it is only the missing flashlight, which can become vital in the event of a sudden power failure.

Competence area 4 - pay attention to transparency

For management in particular, transparency means security. Early information, for example on the failure of a machine or the malfunction of a terminal, can counteract the threat of potential damage, for example due to production downtime. This transparency must therefore extend from the entire cost structure of secure data center construction and operation to network design and business management.

Competence field 5 - looking to the future

To survive in the future, companies need to put their offerings to the test every now and then. This walk into a test lab also provides the decisive help in cloud issues. Connections and networking must be tested and possibilities found that show whether a goal is really feasible and whether the possibilities of digitization that have already been planned in case of doubt can be exploited.