It has been very evident this week at Hannover Messe 2016 that there is no slowdown in the race to bring more and more interconnected devices to support and accelerate industry to market. What is also evident – as called out by Chancellor Merkel in her Opening Ceremony remarks – is the unanimous call for solutions that address some of the remaining gaps of Industry 4.0.
Many discussions at Hannover Messe this year centered on UL’s recently launched Cybersecurity Assurance Program (UL CAP), and how enterprises can utilize CAP to support their business goals.
“What we’re hearing here at Hannover from customers and stakeholders is the need for robust interoperability and security solutions to maximize the utility of the new and innovative connected devices,” says Rachna Stegall, Director, Connected Technologies for UL.
The program guide for just one of the Forum Presentation areas lists at least eight discussions and presentations centered on cybersecurity, secure communications, baseline security requirements and the like. One of these presentations featured the Industrial Internet Consortium’s recently announced Security Claims Evaluation Testbed, whose members include Xilinx, Aicas, PrismTech and UL. The test bed provides an open and easily configurable cybersecurity platform for evaluation of endpoint, gateway, and other networked components’ security capabilities, by enabling participants to connect their equipment to a system of other endpoints, gateways, and the like.
The Security Claims Evaluation Testbed is just one way that UL is helping to develop the interoperability and security solutions that industry is demanding.
Creating these effective methods to address the interoperability and security components of network-connected devices is the keystone that will allow the Industrial Internet of Things / Industry 4.0 develop to its full potential.