One news report I didn't get to because of the pressure of the show is this one from Apprion--the wireless network supplier. The company essentially has two announcements. First, it has released an update with improved security measures. Second, it sent its system to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (part of the U.S. Department of Energy) to see if researchers there could find any security holes in an audit. The company says that it has successfully completed the audit.
The Apprion ION Wireless Security application works with any wireless device, network, or application that is integrated with the Apprion ION system providing industrial facilities with a layered security architecture to secure wireless networks, and proactive security scans to detect and deter system attacks that could lead to system downtime and the introduction of erroneous information.
The ION Wireless Security application enables security policies at each layer for a truly secure wireless network: user authentication with secure role-based access, continuous proactive network monitoring for network vulnerabilities and rogue devices, and wireless network intrusion detection.
Apprionâo[dot accent]s approach to security has three layers: Apprion ION Security Framework -- Includes security features core to the ION System such as the security dashboard, secure user role-based access control, secure device access control and network security statistics and reporting.
ION Managed Security Services -- Managed security services include the continuous network and application monitoring and expert proactive support.
ION Wireless Security -- An application included with the ION System that includes secure authentication, vulnerability scans, port scans, and intrusion detection.
Now available as part of the 3.5 release of the ION System, the ION Wireless Security application includes the following key components:
ION Wireless Intrusion Detection - Provides wireless network intrusion detection, packet sniffer and network detector capabilities. ION Wireless Intrusion Detection identifies and detects hidden networks and rogue devices by passively collecting packets, detecting and de-cloaking networks and inferring the presence of non-beaconing networks via data traffic.
ION Authentication - Provides comprehensive authentication and authorization services for all ION integrated wireless applications. ION Authentication allows the verification of user identity prior to granting network access via a wide variety of authentication protocols and access controls.
ION Security Scan - Provides comprehensive around-the-clock monitoring capabilities including day-to-day proactive protection through the ability to identify and correct weaknesses in the wireless system and pervasive security scans. ION Security Scan provides port scans, vulnerability scans, and rogue device scans.
The ION Wireless Security application works with any wireless device, network, or application that is integrated with the Apprion ION system. Apprion's ION system brings together the management and security of wireless applications ranging from instrumentation and condition monitoring sensors to video and voice communications.
To validate the security of the ION Wireless Security application and the entire ION System, a comprehensive security audit was conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratoryâo[dot accent]s Extreme Measurement Communications Center (EMC2). The audit was an exhaustive examination of Apprion security policies and procedures, Apprion's ION System product specifications and network architectures and how they measured-up against the critical security requirements of real-world industrial facilities.
"When people think of the security of wireless networks, they typically are envisioning some form of encryption and a firewall," said Wayne Manges, Director of the EMC2. "Apprion's approach to security is comprehensive -- from the architecture of the ION products, to the system design and implementation at a customer site, to the management and security of the system once it is operational, Apprion thoroughly addresses the unique security demands of a multipurpose wireless system in an industrial setting."
EMC2 reviewed an Apprion reference architecture -- as well as a fully deployed system -- against numerous system designs such as those detailed in the Department of Homeland Securityâo[dot accent]s (DHS'S) Control Systems Cyber Security: Defense in Depth Strategies (Report: INL/EXT-06-11478) to assess vulnerabilities as well as the ability detect and deter potential threats.
Based on the EMC2 findings, Manges also remarked, "The level of security enabled by Apprion requires thoughtful creativity plus a deep understanding of how data flows through a network to land on the appropriate user's screen. On each critical system element and overall architecture the Apprion network design and overall implementation is appropriately in sync with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Recommended Best Practice. This will allow both Process and IT individuals to rest assured that the Apprion deployed network is appropriately safe and secure."
A summary of the ORNL security audit will be available at Apprion booth #1300 at the ISA Expo in Houston from Oct. 14-16. After the ISA Expo, this summary will be available at www.apprion.com.
Can't believe it's October already. No blogging because there just wasn't time. I'm packed and ready to leave Washington DC and the Emerson Global Users Exchange. Automation World won the contract for publishing the show daily newspaper (print and electronic). For various reasons relating to scheduling, I wound up being the project manager of that--in addition to interviewing customers and Emerson people on camera for eventual posting to the AW Web site. So I had three 19 hour days and crashed last night around 9:30.
There were over 2,700 registered attendees at this conference (no official breakdown, but probably about half are customers) up 300 from the year before. Numbers don't tell the story. Energy tells the story. On Thursday, the fourth day of the conference, the sessions were still full. The Expo hall was filled and buzzing every evening. There were about 320 conference sessions. I made it to just over 1%.
Quick news briefs--wireless is now "real" as Emerson brought out many customers who have implemented wireless sensor networks. There is now more talk about other wireless applications. Emerson is the first company according to its press release to ship WirelessHart devices. The company has been bringing its diverse products together under the PlantWeb architecture, and the winner of the first PlantWeb Excellence Award--the Genentech facility in Oceanside, CA--reported great success (I was at that session and talked a little with the people in charge afterwards).
The "Lean" gang over at Evolving Excellence blog ranted again about the "bailout"--or rather cheap loans--that the Big Three automakers demanded from Congress under threat of laying off workers. The author takes GM, Ford and Chrysler CEOs to task for lack of vision and a handout mentality. He derides them for saying that they were merely supplying what customers wanted and therefore were not prepared for the changing economy.
Seems Toyota and Honda don't have the same problem. While the executives are partially correct that consumer demand (albeit driven by intense marketing) for big man-toys and soccer mom buses, the vision to see that what happened in the past (we've had this gas crisis thing before) could happen in the future and be ready with designs and manufacturing agility to switch with products designed to the new reality. After all, Boeing has been designing for more fuel efficiency for many years. It is building the new 787 with 20% of the Big Three bailout money--all self financed.
I don't know how some of these guys get hired. The lack of vision at the top of so many US companies is discouraging. We are so driven by Wall Street idiots clamoring for month-to-month income that we are mortgaging our future.
