Cybersecurity, we are constantly reminded, is a growing concern. The head of the National Cyber Security Centre recently warned that a major cyber-attack on the UK is a matter of when rather than if. The UK, he said, had been fortunate to avoid what is known as a C1 attack, with potential to affect energy supplies or the financial sector, so far. And the number of less serious attacks is growing.
At the same time, to most people the threat of cyber attack also seems somewhat remote, or at least something over which they have little direct control. It is not a subject that tends to be high on the list of priorities of facilities and maintenance managers.
That may be about to change.
With the advent of the smart factory and the internet of things, and as more and more firms adopt computerised maintenance systems and active condition monitoring, equipment in the factory is becoming more and more connected. Information from sensors, on everything from the production line to the heating and ventilation system, is widely available over organisations’ computer networks and can increasingly be accessed by mobile devices anywhere. All these devices, if not properly managed, have the potential to be the weak spot through which hackers can penetrate a company’s network.
A common reaction might be to think: more work for the IT department, or more opportunity for them to interfere. But, as Paul Djuric, operations manager at cloud-based maintenance system provider Urgent Technology points out on page 42, it’s an opportunity for plant and facilities managers to become more involved.
They are the people with the detailed knowledge of how the factory systems work, and they are in a position to influence their organisation and help to kick-start a process of introducing best practice. For most organisations, Paul Djuric argues, the process should begin with a data assessment, to evaluate what data is stored and transmitted, and how critical it is. Plant and maintenance managers should have a critical role in identifying an organisation’s data entry points and implementing recommendations to secure them. With maintenance teams increasingly using the ability to log into monitoring systems remotely over mobile devices, effective training in security and even simple things such as adopting requirements for secure passwords can become critical.
So the message is: don’t leave it all to the IT department. Cybersecurity is no longer an issue that can be seen as just a concern for IT alone. It’s more important than that. It affects the whole organisation.
Plant and maintenance managers should embrace this process and take an active part – and instead of being sidelined, they will have the opportunity to keep the plant running at optimum efficiency, at the same time as taking on a new role as guardians of their organisation’s data.
David Fowler MIStructE, Editor
david@maintenanceandengineering.com
@MaintOnLine