Adopting IEC 62443 standards for infrastructure cybersecurity

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This article explores the foundational reasoning and benefits of the IEC 62443 series of standards–a set of protocols designed to ensure cybersecurity resilience and protect critical infrastructures and digital factories. This leading standard offers an extensive layer of security; however, it raises several challenges for those seeking certification. We will explain how security ICs provide essential assistance to organizations striving to reach certification goals for industrial automated control systems (IACS) components.

www.embedded.com/, Oct. 22, 2023 – 

Despite the potential for increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, IACS have previously been slow to adopt security measures. This has been partly due to the lack of common references for designers and operators of such systems. The IEC 62443 series of standards offers a way forward towards more secure industrial infrastructures, but firms must learn how to navigate its complexities and understand these new challenges in order to make use of it successfully.

Industrial Systems Are at Risk

The digitalization of critical infrastructures such as water distribution, sewage, and power grids has made uninterrupted access essential for everyday life. However, cyberattacks are still one of the causes of disruption to these systems and they are expected to grow.[1]

Industry 4.0 calls for highly connected sensors, actuators, gateways, and aggregators. This increased connectivity increases the risk of potential cyberattacks, making security measures more critical than ever. The creation of organizations such as the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) illustrates the importance and demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding critical infrastructures and ensuring their resilience against cyberattacks.[2]

Why IEC 62443?

In 2010, the emergence of Stuxnet thrust industrial infrastructures into a state of vulnerability.[3] Stuxnet was the world's first publicized cyberattack indicating that attacks could successfully target IACSs from afar. Subsequent attacks have solidified the realization that industrial infrastructures can be harmed through remote attacks that can target a specific type of equipment.

Government agencies, utilities, IACS users, and equipment makers quickly understood that IACS needed to be protected. While governments and users naturally leaned towards organizational measures and security policies, equipment makers investigated possible hardware and software countermeasures. However, adoption of security measures was slow due to:

• the complexity of the infrastructures
• the different interests and concerns of stakeholders
• the variety of implementations and available options
• the lack of measurable objectives

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