09/21/2022

Press shops also threatened by attacks from the internet

Schuler and technology partner OTORIO offer data protection solutions for theft, damage, and production downtime

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Schuler and technology partner OTORIO offer a “Cyber Security Check” for both in-house and third-party systems.

Companies within the metalworking industry are increasingly becoming targets of hacker attacks. A production standstill lasting several weeks, and a corresponding loss of revenue, can be the unfortunate result—along with the costs for restoring data and repairing damages. Schuler and OTORIO have developed various solutions for effective protection against such attacks against Schuler and third-party systems under the name “Cyber Security Check”.

"No one is immune to a cyber security attack," emphasized Marcus Helmke, Head of Software Development at Schuler, in a recent online seminar on the subject. "Suppliers must prepare for the eventuality that they can become victims of such equipment attacks." A minimum level of appropriate precautions is now required by insurance companies and also lawmakers. Failure to do so could result in fines between 100,000 and 20 million euros.

A lockable building and an access authorization for the plant premises protect against unauthorized access, but not against a virus. Such viruses could derive from the private cell phone of an employee, who charges it via the freely accessible USB ports on the control panel or control cabinet. In addition, most systems still run outdated operating software with major security gaps.

If the industrial PCs are not sufficiently separated from the computers in the administration, then the virus can also spread to production via malicious e-mails. Employees unaware of these e-mails, along with incorrectly configured firewalls, can accelerate the damage. As numerous examples from the past show, the encryption software activated as a direct result of this example can completely paralyze a company.

Schuler and OTORIO initially conduct an inventory of the equipment and the entire production network to prevent these occurrences. Gaps in the security situation are identified and then the risks are prioritized according to their impact on business processes as well as other components. Schuler and OTORIO provide clear, practical recommendations for the step-by-step elimination of each identified vulnerability, security gap, hazard, and compliance deviation. This approach enables compliance with digital security policies, best practices, and regulations. Marcus Helmke clarifies, "Cyber security is not a one-time effort, but a continuous improvement process."

Schuler will present its “Cyber Security Check” at the EuroBLECH trade fair in Hanover, Germany, from October 25 to 28 (Booth 27-G82).