Cyber Security and the Industrial Internet of Things

If you’re in manufacturing, supply chain, material handling or logistics, you’ve probably heard the terms “Internet of Things (IoT),” “Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)” and “Industry 4.0” bandied about with increasing frequency over the last 24 to 36 months.

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they aren’t the same.

  • • The IoT refers to everyday objects with embedded computing devices that utilize the Internet to connect with other systems, enabling them to send and receive data in real-time.
  • • The IIoT is the application of IoT technologies in an industrial setting.
  • • Industry 4.0 is the trend toward greater interconnectivity and data exchange between automated equipment to support intelligent, autonomous decision-making. Its evolution is supported by IoT/IIoT technologies (as well as by cyber-physical systems and cloud computing).

One place you’ve likely heard these terms is in the fourth MHI Annual Industry Report, “Next-Generation Supply Chains: Digital, On-Demand and Always-On,” a survey conducted by Deloitte Consulting LLP. The report is available as a free download at MHI.org.

The report shares the findings of a survey regarding the adoption rates of, and barriers to, a wide range of new and emerging technologies, including the IIoT. Of the 1,100 top-level manufacturing, logistics and supply chain industry leaders queried, 60 percent say IIoT will be a source of competitive advantage or disruption in their industry in the next 10 years. Interestingly, 55 percent also say that the biggest barrier to IIoT adoption is cyber security.

Clearly, the two go hand-in-hand. With the rash of mainstream media reports covering both inadvertent and malicious cyber security breaches that have tarnished the reputations and impeded the productivity of numerous large corporations over the last few years, it’s no wonder that C-suite executives and senior managers are putting equal emphasis on IIoT and cyber security strategies. Even Capitol Hill is taking action, with U.S. Senators unveiling a bipartisan bill in August 2017 to mandate baseline cyber security requirements for Internet-connected devices purchased by the Federal government.

Read full article in MHI Solutions Magazine

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