Hirschmann releases new line of industrial cyber security products

First products from the Hirschmann and Byres Security partnership will be released at SPS Expo in Germany. Eagle 20 Tofino devices protect process control and SCADA networks.

By Peter Welander November 18, 2009

Hirschmann and Byres Security partnered for the new devices

Belden‘s Hirschmann Automation division will be releasing the new Eagle 20 Tofino product line at the SPS/IPC/Drives Electric Automation Exhibitions and Conference, November 24-26, in Nuremberg, Germany. The new products combine a security appliance with a collection of software modules that combine toprovide practical and effective industrial network security. Suitable for use with process control and SCADA systems, the new products provide increased safety, network security, and performance of industrial control systems. The products are the result of a partnership with Byres Security , using the company’s Tofino security platform.

"The release of these new products brings together Belden’s automation market expertise with Byres Security’s proficiency in providing practical solutions to protect businesses from network and cyber threats. It is a good fit that will benefit many companies in manufacturing, energy, utilities, and other similar industries where local IT staffing is limited," says Bob Mick, VP of emerging technologies at ARC Advisory Group.

The Hirschmann Eagle 20 Tofino security appliance implements zones of security for equipment with common safety requirements. The company says it has a unique set of characteristics in that it can be installed in a live network with no special training, no pre-configuration, and no changes to the network. It is available in four configurations that provide a mix of fiber and copper connectivity options.

Each unit installed on a network can be configured for the specific security needs of that segment of the network. LSMs (loadable security modules) are software applications that customize the features on each unit. Modules include firewall, secure asset management, Modbus TCP enforcer, VPN, and event logger. Byres points out that the Modbus TCP enforcer LSM performs detailed analysis and filtering of all Modbus TCP messages, and is the only security product certified by Modbus-IDA.

"On the one hand industry has become very reliant on high quality, consistent data streams and yet on the other hand, staff do not necessarily have the deep IT expertise available onsite needed to implement and support traditional network security solutions," says Eric Byres, chief technology officer of Byres Security, Inc. "The Hirschmann Eagle 20 Tofino products can be installed in plants without disrupting operations because they do not require readdressing controllers or creating firewall rules from scratch. They provide functional, dependable solutions for the Hirschmann range of products."

-Edited by Peter Welander, process industries editor, PWelander@cfemedia.com
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