Need for better security: SCADA/HMI connecting with mobile Internet

Control Engineering China (CEC) interviewed Marcia Gadbois, vice president and general manager of InduSoft, on SCADA/HMI development, factory intelligence, and the company’s recent merger.

By Control Engineering China April 11, 2015

CEC: Factory intelligence is widely discussed in the manufacturing industry. How can we make the development of SCADA/HMI products fit the demands of future intelligent factories?

Gadbois: Indeed, the vision of intelligent factory raises new demand for SCADA/HMI products. The demand comes from the improving connection of various kinds of data as well as stronger mobility. More compatibility with data sources and stronger support for mobility will be needed. For example, a web studio should integrate functions and require no loading of any plug-in modules. It should be released from original PC project to webpage for browser or mobile phone remote monitoring without secondary development.

CEC: When we talk about data connection and mobile Internet, people always worry about network security because the most important elements for factory production are safety and reliability. What’s your point of view?

Gadbois: I couldn’t agree more on the importance of network security. Network security is not only a technical issue but also an education and training issue. Many potential industrial network security risks are not about technical protection but about the operators, who are supposed to operate according to standards and procedures. If the operators fail to do so, it results in the failure of due function of network security.

InduSoft’s education and training center established by ICP DAS in Asia already has begun to organize the InduSoft OEM certification training in places like Wuhan.

CEC: Will Invensys’s acquisition of InduSoft have an impact on InduSoft’s future medium- and long-term development?

Gadbois: This acquisition is a win-win choice for both InduSoft and Invensys. We all know that Invensys has a big influence on the process control field. Also, the SCADA/HMI products of Invensys and InduSoft complement each other due to market orientation. InduSoft’s strength is the software application in the embedded Microsoft Windows CE platform, while Invensys is not good at this. Besides, InduSoft’s software targets the medium-end market and below, which is significantly different from the high-end market Invensys focuses on concerning product orientation and planning. After InduSoft was acquired by Invensys and Invensys was acquired by Schneider Electric, InduSoft is now able to leverage its unique inner advantages.

– Edited by Joy Chang, digital project manager, Control Engineering, jchang@cfemedia.com, from an article supplied by Control Engineering China. www.cechina.cn This appears as a Digital Edition Exclusive article in CE April, one of three extra articles for digital edition subscribers.

Key concepts:

  • Intelligent factories raise new demand for SCADA/HMI products, due to the connection of various kinds of data as well as stronger mobility.
  • Network security is not only a technical issue but also involves education and training.
  • The acquisition of InduSoft by Invensys brings together the medium-end and high-end markets.

Consider this

Does your organization have an educational program to improve network security?

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Wonderware owner Invensys acquires InduSoft: https://www.controleng.com/single-article/wonderware-owner-invensys-acquires-indusoft/5053328fa46e7fd3af1f223b5989ed46.html