Overview
An industrial network is not a new concept. They have been around for decades now and have continued to evolve at a moderate rate. However, for large industries like manufacturing plants, oil refineries, or power and distribution utilities, the network was a small piece of the operational matrix. With the evolution of internet, cloud computing and internet of things (IoT), industrial networks have taken centerstage.
Initially, industrial networks were mainly built to support the automation of legacy industrial processes, which, as a rule, was never connected to external networks, much less to the internet. Based on a local connectivity philosophy, industrial networks and in general the whole operational technology (OT) was never designed with cyber security fundamentals.
In today’s digital age, every machine is expected to connect with multiple platforms for monitoring, management, and control purposes. Industry 4.0 is all about making industry smarter and efficient, necessitating a reliable, secure, and future proof communication network.
The present paper highlights building blocks and best practices around industrial networking as we prepare to unleash the power of Industry 4.0.