Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1463464
APRIL 2022 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 43 about traffic conditions beyond line-of-sight. is data communication is coming together that creates a data center on wheels. It's no sur- prise that there is discussion about how you keep that data, those communication chan- nels, secure and hack proof. But it's those similar sensor technologies, based on internet of things and the like, that are being discussed to capture performance characteristics, to digitize the manufacturing process for analysis and optimization. Aren't we putting the same risks and exposures onto the manufacturing floor? Bonner: Absolutely. When we think about the traditional manufacturing landscape, factories have largely functioned as a black box. Spec- ifications and design requirements go in and finished goods with attestation and certifi- cates come out. We're finding in complex sup- ply chains, organizations want more teleme- try, measurability, and real-time capabilities in these manufacturing environments, both within their own business, and between par- ties, which we're starting to see with things like digital twin factories. To cut back on the feedback loops and reduce the amount of time it takes to correct problems and issues, you need more sensors and connectivity on the shop floor. We might not do all our quality control in the CMM lab in the corner of the factory anymore. We might have probes and measurement in the CNC machine itself. Anytime we add connec- tivity, we improve the network effect, which is good for business, but we also add risk. ere's just a necessary risk management that needs to happen there. When I look at what we're see- ing with the digitization of factories, I am see- ing the exact same patterns that we experi- enced when we electrified factories. Harvard Business Review published an article titled, "IT Doesn't Matter," which is a strange statement to make. e point made was that when electrification came to someone's home- town in the early 1900s, it was worth it to move your factory to a town that had electricity than one that didn't because of your ability to work when the sun wasn't up and to have automated machines that could do whatever you needed them to do. e competitive advantage was unreal. But once everyone had electricity, there was no competitive advantage. Now it was about managing the risk of having brought electric- ity into your building. Do I have exposed lines or wires? Am I running the risk of a fire? What do I need to manage now that I have electrified systems? If we look at digitized systems, there are extreme advantages to digitizing early for manufacturers and "the juice is worth the squeeze" from a risk vs. reward perspective. You may be able to field the capability that no one has even thought of yet. But as those examples become more common, you don't have competitive advantage anymore. It's just the new normal. At that point, you can start thinking about how you want to manage some of these risks. e risks we've brought onto the shop floor regarding digitization, and additional internet- of-things devices and operational technology that are network connected, is that now our shop floor has some of the same capabilities as our front office, like our normal computing environments, servers, PCs, and laptops. at means we have the same attack footprint now as those pieces of equipment, which is ripe for exploitation. Johnson: is was evidenced by some PCB fabrication facilities in North America hit by a ransomware attack in the last two years. Bonner: Absolutely. If you really want to hit a manufacturer where it hurts, you will shut down their production capabilities. Johnson: In a previous article discussing a ran- somware attack, the initial point of entry was an unsecured piece of machinery on the man- ufacturing floor.