Hacked Off?

Certainly, the data and cyber-security threat is becoming more real, with high profile attacks made in recent years on organisations, ranging from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to Vodafone, Amazon, and even the UK’s National Health Service, being held to ransom.

According to IBM’s Cyber Security Intelligence Index, the manufacturing industry is now one of the most frequently hacked. In fact, one of the largest breaches happened less than two years ago when more than 130 different industrial, manufacturing and engineering organisations were targeted in more than 30 countries, in what became known as Operational Ghoul.

In my view, this concern over data and network security is a major barrier to the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the UK. I was recently told a story by one of my colleagues about a visit to a manufacturer of high-end motor vehicles at their superb new manufacturing facility in the UK. The plant is full of machines making components which are then assembled to make one of the most well-known brands in the world.

The Production Director was rightly proud of his facility, but when the subject turned to Industry 4.0 he was much more cautious. His words are worth quoting. “I get people coming in here all the time telling me we have to get all of this networked. But, if we get hacked, this facility could be shut down for days or even weeks.”

ERIKS’ own research suggests UK industry is very reluctant to share data. When we polled 250 Production and Maintenance Managers across the UK, 79 per cent of respondents answered that their own organisations would offer only limited or no disclosure of information with their OEM equipment partner. 

My concern is if the pendulum swings too far towards protection and the benefits of greater data sharing are not realised. There needs to be a balance between protection and data sharing which simultaneously protects industry without putting barriers in the way of delivering greater productivity and improved maintenance practices – to name just two immediate benefits.

It is the job of manufacturers and the indirect supply chain therefore to not only promote the benefits of greater data sharing, but also to listen to the concerns and fears of our customers, particularly in relation to cyber security and the sharing of information, specifically production data. 

Crucially, we then need to develop appropriate solutions which could include everything from firewalls to private cloud environments, FOG computing and beyond. Cambridge Analytica and Facebook is an extreme example of the misuse of data, but we must not allow it to create a negative environment around the real benefits of increased data collection and analysis for industry.