IEC 62443 - Cyber & Industrial Security

The danger of cyberattacks is constantly increasing for companies. This makes responsible handling of information more important than ever. After all, information is a precious asset, and its loss or manipulation can cause considerable damage. Networked components or systems are used in many areas today: In medical technology, the automotive industry, railroad technology or the process and automation industry, just as in power plants or wind turbines. Operators, integrators and manufacturers in these and many other industries must therefore today not only consider whether their systems are running securely, but also how they protect their networked systems against hacker attacks.

IEC 62443 is the most important standard for IT security in the industrial sector. It has established itself as an internationally recognized standard for proving compliance in the process and automation industry environment. Due to the lack of standardization specifications, many other industrial sectors are now relying on this standard. This makes IEC 62443 the central certification standard for Industry 4.0. IEC 62443 also serves as possible proof of compliance with the duty of care in accordance with the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health and the German Product Safety Act.

 

Scope of application of IEC 62443

IEC 62443 is divided into different sub-standards and addresses the logical levels of organization/processes, system and components as well as process-related and functional requirements. IEC 62443 thus normatively maps the entire industrial spectrum in accordance with the requirements of operators, integrators and manufacturers. The classic business structures (TIC testing, inspection, certification) are taken into account in the context of audits of processes and systems, as are measures for product testing or certification of components. IEC 62443 is thus a central tool geared to IT security for industrial communication networks. With its clearly defined process models and best-practice recommendations, the standard helps to approach this complex topic in a manageable way.

 

IEC 62443 Security Level: Structure of the standard

IEC 62443 Security Level: Structure of the standard
The series of standards currently comprises eleven sub-standards. The standard is divided into four coherent sections, the so-called Security Levels (SL). These in turn contain documents on individual key topics. The various levels indicate the resistance to different classes of attackers. The standard emphasizes that the levels are to be evaluated per technical requirement and are not suitable for the general classification of products.

Further information on certification of security requirements according to IEC 62443-2-1 and -2-4

• Identification and elimination of digital weak points in the development, manufacturing and service process
• Assurance of product quality and safety
• Reduce the risk of product recalls and image damage as well as resulting claims for damages
• Reduce liability risks, protect consumers and employees
• Minimizing the risk of defects and damage to reputation (risk management)
• Reduce costs and risks by identifying and eliminating digital security gaps in advance
• Your customer focus, performance, quality and security become visible to outsiders