Data Diodes for Manufacturing
Challenges Faced by Manufacturing Facilities in Network Security
What are the cybersecurity threats to manufacturing infrastructure?
Like other critical infrastructure industries, manufacturers face numerous cybersecurity threats, including ransomware attacks that disrupt services and demand payment, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that overwhelm systems, and advanced persistent threats (APTs) that target SCADA and ICS, leaving operators vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
During a cyberattack, compromised plant equipment is at risk of being disabled or destroyed resulting in costly unplanned downtime. Unplanned/unscheduled downtime represents one of the costliest events at any industrial or manufacturing plant. In the manufacturing industry, the average cost of downtime is approximately $260,000 per hour. For the automotive industry, that number exceeds $22,000 per minute (over $1,000,000 per hour).
As the threat landscape evolves and cybercriminals become more sophisticated, manufacturing facilities must remain vigilant in protecting their systems and data from cyber-attacks, which is why OT cybersecurity should be a top priority for your operations.
How do data diodes support manufacturing cybersecurity?
In order to optimize processes and reduce unplanned maintenance, manufacturing facilities need access to operational data without exposing themselves to cyberattacks. Fend’s data diodes provide physical cyber security for industrial control systems to safeguard critical infrastructure and secure sensitive information from cyber threats while allowing access to the critical data that operators need.
Fend data diodes can forward data to a local on-prem server or to Fend Cloud, a data ingestion platform built on AWS, while still preserving uncompromised security for manufacturing equipment.
This is because our data diodes add an extra layer of physical security that blocks 100% of all inbound traffic and require no security patches or maintenance, offering the same level of security as a physical air gap for remote access without the vulnerabilities.
Case Study – Manufacturing Cybersecurity
A large, Fortune 100 manufacturer needed to keep energy and maintenance costs under control. Equipment at their factories use millions of dollars of energy and water each year, and when equipment performance starts to slip, costs can add up quickly. Unexpected equipment failure could also lead to a stop in factory production, resulting in lost revenue with each hour of downtime.
The manufacturer wanted to use a cloud-based third-party analytics platforms to help their maintenance teams stay on top of the critical equipment at each facility, prioritize tasks, and direct investment. However, internal IT security teams saw tremendous cybersecurity risk in connecting the factory floor to the internet. One of Fend Incorporated’s analytics partners introduced the data diode concept to the manufacturer.
With the help of data diodes, data is now flowing directly from multiple factory floors to Fend’s Amazon Web Service-based Cloud service, which the analytics partner uses to monitor equipment in real time.
Benefits of Using Data Diodes for Manufacturing
Fend’s easy-to-deploy hardware brings data diode protection to manufacturers at a fraction of the price of traditional solutions. Fend enables visibility across the rest of the value chain, allowing real-time analytics and predictive maintenance while protecting operational networks and assets.
Fend’s unidirectional gateway hardware physically protects you from cyberattack. Fend diodes feature:
● No hidden fees or licenses. All supported protocols are included with the purchase.
● No need for custom external servers or software.
● Built from the ground up as a cost-effective solution for monitoring industrial equipment.
● Made in the USA.
Fend data diodes come equipped with onboard protocol support for common industrial and OT/IT protocols like Modbus RTU/TCP, FTP, FTPS, UDP and TCP/IP. Setting up a diode is as easy as logging in to the Fend Configuration Tool, selecting your protocols, entering some basic information.
Enhance Manufacturing Infrastructure Cybersecurity with Fend’s Data Diodes
Major manufacturers rely on Fend's data diode technology to strengthen cybersecurity measures. Enhance your systems and physically protect your industrial control systems with Fend data diodes. Realize the benefits of complete network segmentation, freedom from security patches, and hassle-free operation. Fend's offerings provide access to remote data with the security of a physical air gap.