Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1489269
38 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2023 egy, not as a piecemeal, step-by-step process meant to preserve the balance between perfor- mance and security. Sharing design data that is then processed manually offers few benefits, especially because the increased risk of IP leak- age is high. In contrast, modern digital manu- facturing engineering tools prevent people from manipulating raw design data. Automat- ing low-level jobs means that engineers can work at an abstracted layer from the data. Any design data needed by machines or in work instructions is thereby isolated from the main design IP, which has very little value when it can't be painstakingly reverse engineered. With appropriate IT security practices in place, automating man- ufacturing engineering creates an environment in which products can be reliably made with reduced exceptions and defects. ese systems are also very safe from threats to IP leakage, since they can desig- nate or prevent access to core design data as necessary. Trustworthy companies who want their digital transformation projects to remain competitive need to consider updating the entirety of their data flow and automation practices so as not to get caught in this "blind leading the blind" trap of modern information technology. SMT007 Michael Ford is the senior director of emerging industry strategy for Aegis Software. To read past columns, click here. A competitor's design data can now be reverse engineered in minutes. e risk of cloned, compromised, and even counterfeit products has become a major concern for the industry. While these concerns are legitimate, every- thing comes down to trust between the com- pany owning the prod- uct IP and the com- panies involved in the manufacturing. Such companies are gener- ally diligent about pro- viding contracts and agreements that protect the IP of their custom- ers. It is extremely diffi- cult, however, to ensure that every person with access to that data will refrain from leaking it to the many individuals and companies offering sig- nificant incentives to do so. Dealing with sensi- tive data requires mech- anisms that ensure min- imum risk and access to a minimum number of people. Engineering automation eliminates the need for a person to have access to the design data itself; instead, they need only have access to the various abstracts created from it. Technologies available today can ensure that holistic design data never leaves the security of its owner's servers. Authenticated engineer- ing solutions allow secure, selective access on demand, with no need to store core design data locally. Trust is earned through long-term relationships, but as trusted people are always leaving companies, trust can't always be a part of the equation. Most companies are now digitally transform- ing their operations in ways that they consider "safe" for their business. But these changes need to be made as part of an overarching strat-