ILMA Compoundings September 2018 - 14

INDUSTRY RUNDOWN

Virtual Vigilance
The industrial internet of things (IIoT) has been credited
with bringing about the fourth industrial revolution,
often referred to as Industry 4.0. These new "smart factories" connect the supply chain via the cloud and allow
our machinery to "talk" to us, creating a more efficient,
productive, profitable and safer manufacturing process.
However, this connectedness also opens a doorway to
cyberthreats. Many experts echo the same sentiment -
it's not a case of if you will suffer a breach, but when.
You might not think your company will be a target of
attack, but consider that a 2016 study by Deloitte and the
Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation
(MAPI) found that errors (or deliberate acts) by employees
pose a significant concern to companies, especially those
firms that are not actively protecting their IP addresses and
do not have procedures to protect against insider threats.
So, how do you protect your company from internal and
external threats? There are four steps you should take.
STRENGTHEN PASSWORDS
Your employees and their weak passwords are a significant
security risk. The sharing of passwords is also common and
is another potential area for risk. You can easily fix these
problems by forcing the reset of weak passwords and setting
up a two-step user-verification process, which reduces the
practice of sharing passwords. If employees are sharing
computers, set up automatic logoff processes to run at specified intervals so that your employees are not inadvertently
working under a co-worker's account.
UPDATE SOFTWARE
It's not unusual to find workstations that are running
obsolete or unsupported versions of the operating system
in manufacturing facilities. In fact, it's quite common.
Unfortunately, this practice is what paved the way for the
widespread success of the WannaCry ransomware attack of
2017, which affected computers in more than 100 countries.
Not only should you be running the latest version of your
computer's operating system, but you should also be updating all the software you are using, from your accounting
programs to your plant systems and everything in between.
Software companies are constantly updating their applications to detect and stop new viruses, but they can't help you
if you are not updating your software.

SEPTEMBER 2018

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Speaking of detecting viruses, while you're updating your
software, be sure you are running anti-virus software on
all computers, and ensure it is updating and scanning on a
continuous basis.
TRAIN ALL EMPLOYEES ON CYBERSECURITY
AWARENESS
Simply mandating a more robust password procedure or
denying employees the ability to connect personal and
unsecured devices to your network is going to result in a lot
of grumbling. Instead, conduct regular employee training
to explain your security procedures and why they have been
put into place.
One of the most common ways viruses are spread is
through email. Educate your employees on the warning
signs of phishing scams and viruses and the steps they
should take when they suspect a breach.
CONDUCT SECURITY ASSESSMENTS
Not having in-house cybersecurity expertise is no excuse for
leaving your organization open to attack or putting off the
creation of a cybersecurity plan. Do your research and find a
reputable and capable service provider who can conduct a security audit to expose your vulnerabilities, present a plan to secure
your network and provide a system to address future risks.
Cyberattacks do not affect just your operations and
your bottom line; they affect everyone in the supply chain
- including your customers. For the protection of your
company and the industry you serve, it's smart to take steps
to implement these four ideas immediately.

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ILMA Compoundings September 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ILMA Compoundings September 2018