- Home » News » Technology News
Cyber-appliance is ‘first to protect serial systems’
A US cyber-security specialist, Ultra Electronics (3eTI), has announced a cyber-security appliance that detects and warns of attacks on serial–based automation networks. It claims that SCADAWatch is the first product that can detect a network intrusion or anomaly while preserving operational performance.
According to 3eTI, serial automation and controls protocols such as CANopen, Profibus, and DeviceNet are currently unmonitored – and assumed uncompromised – making them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The new product is designed to detect unauthorised or malicious actions, generating alerts without degrading critical system operations.
SCADAWatch will allow users to distinguish between cyber-attacks and equipment failures on serially controlled systems. It will provide an early warning to operators, so that they can respond immediately and accurately to unauthorised activities that could affect critical system performance.
“Extending visibility into the serial domain enables operators to quickly and decisively take action in response to attempted malicious commands,” explains 3eTI president, Benga Erinle. “SCADAWatch provides the last, most fundamental, line of defence to strengthen machine-to-machine communications within major platform applications in a form factor that can be deployed rapidly and safely.”
The appliance currently supports CANopen/CANbus networks. Support for other protocols is planned
SCADAWatch complements 3eTI’s CyberFence family of products, which provide defence-in-depth protection, with robust firewalls, encryption and deep-packet inspection (DPI) systems that meet military and industrial standards. The family provides cyber-security for industrial protocols including DNP3, Modbus, EtherNet/IP and OPC.
SCADAWatch will be released in the first quarter of 2016.
