TECHNOLOGY n 19 www.drivesncontrols.com July/August 2024 THE OT AND IoT security specialist, Nozomi Networks, has announced the rst OT and IoT security sensor designed to run inside PLCs. It claims that its Arc Embedded technology will deliver previously unavailable visibility at the process level into industrial automation equipment and eld assets, as well being able to analyse and deter process-level threats and malicious user activity, without disrupting critical networks. As a result, users will bene t from improved operational resilience and uptime, reduced cyber-risks and better compliance. Nozomi has developed the technology in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric, and the rst PLCs to implement it are members of Mitsubishi’s Melsec iQ-R family. It will be available on a subscription-based model. Nozomi says that before Arc Embedded there was no good way for security teams to gain continuous insights into what was happening at the physical layer of their control systems – inside and below the PLC. With the new system running on a PLC, they can monitor the controller’s health using data from every module. It provides physical access to the PLC, including USB connections, les transferred via USB, and status changes, including any changes to ladder logic. Any unusual behaviours can be detected rapidly and can help to identify possible cyberattacks or other problems. Security teams can be alerted to any sudden changes to PLC status or sensor data, allowing them to prevent malicious activities or operational problems. “Customers in a variety of industries can feel con dent deploying Arc Embedded in Mitsubishi Electric PLCs, strengthening security all the way to the physical process,” says Nozomi’s co-founder and chief product ocer, Andrea Carcano. “This is a revolutionary approach that makes it possible to extend in-depth real-time monitoring of assets, network trac, anomaly detection, and threat identi cation directly to process controls. Ultimately, it improves the safety, security, and reliability of the automation processes we depend upon and sparks the imagination for what’s possible when advanced security is embedded at the device level. “Arc Embedded can transform how CISOs (chief information security ocers) manage and protect critical infrastructure, extending security to and through industrial control systems, down to the eld assets they manage.” Arc Embedded can transform control systems into secure-by-design assets, oering an integrated security layer from an independent vendor that protects production systems, Nozomi argues. It will allow organisations to detect and respond to cyber-incidents at the PLC level before they can do harm or can escalate across an industrial environment. Nozomi says that the technology will deliver: n Real-time visibility and security from network endpoints to the shop oor, enhancing data integrity, and detecting anomalies and intrusions. n AI-powered protection to provide continuous monitoring with real-time learning, resulting in faster responses to security incidents and more robust detection of vulnerabilities. n Visibility and protection for devices connected to the PLC backplane to understand module health and status, normal and abnormal communications patterns, con guration changes and rmware integrity. “Combining Mitsubishi Electric’s manufacturing-control and informationsystem security technologies with Nozomi Networks' visualisation and intrusion-detection technologies, allows us both to contribute to a safer, more secure and more sustainable society,”says Mitsubishi representative executive ocer, Kunihiko Kaga. www.nozominetworks.com MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC HAS launched a series of salient-pole motors that deliver highquality speed and position control without encoders. It says that the “industry rst” EMA motors oer a competitively priced alternative to servomotors. The motors are designed for applications that that need positioning and/or accurate speed control. They are smaller than most induction motors by one or two frames, and weigh 30-50% less. They achieve IE5 eciencies, cutting energy losses by almost 50% compared to equivalent IE2 motors, as well as having smaller footprints. The motors span the power range 0.1– 7.5kW, and unlike induction motors can operate at low speeds without needing a ventilation fan. The motors’ rotors consist of a patented salient-pole core with surface-mounted permanent magnets. Their inductance changes depending on their rotational position, and this change is used to achieve sensor-less vector control. The motors are compatible with Mitsubishi’s FR-A800 and FR-E800 inverters and can carry out point-to-point position control, or accurate speed control, without needing motor-mounted encoders. They therefore need less wiring, while delivering a claimed positioning accuracy of 200 pulses/rev and a command resolution of 4,096 pulses/rev. With a speed variation range of ±0.05% and a speed control range of 1:1300, the system is said to provide precision speed and positioning control, comparable to that of servomotors. They can deliver 200% torque for up to three seconds. Sensor-less salient-pole motors challenge servomotors First security sensor embedded in PLCs ‘will transform cybersecurity’ Mitsubishi’s Melsec iQ-R PLCs are the rst to implement Nozomi Networks embedded security technology which provides real-time visibility of the PLCs’ internal operations
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