The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its May technology meeting a week later than usual due to the 1 May public holiday. It was well attended, and it was great to see some new faces there.
Johan Huisame from RJ Connect gave an interesting and enlightening presentation entitled: ‘An insecure network is an unreliable network – defend your industrial networks’. He is a senior field application engineer who has been with RJ Connect for seven years, and is a certified Moxa support engineer, so he was well qualified to present to the audience in attendance.
He began his presentation by stressing that to optimise operational efficiency in modern industrial automation systems, network convergence between OT and IT is imperative. While streamlining OT/IT networks unlocks the potential of industrial systems, it also raises network security concerns. It is a particular concern for those OT systems that used to be air gapped, but must still protect network communications without interrupting operations. To realise the advantages of industrial automation network and cybersecurity, a holistic approach needs to be applied.
Security hardened and certified devices represent only the first step towards implementing a secure and reliable network. Network segmentation is also crucial for isolating security-related threats, and providing more flexibility to apply rules and conduits for data to pass through. Real-time network visibility is critical for industrial automation systems, not only from an operational stance, but also from a security point of view. Intrusion prevention and detection then becomes integral in providing higher levels of security and protection. Lastly, centralised security management to monitor real-time security-related events and configure and maintain security policies in the network would then round out the security of your network. He finished by posing the question: “Is your network reliable if it’s not secure?”
The evening concluded with a delicious dinner and some convivial networking. The Durban branch management team would like to thank RJ Connect for its kind sponsorship and informative presentation.
MESA Africa Summit has been expanded and rebranded SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
We are writing to share some exciting developments regarding the evolution of the MESA Africa Summit, which has been a cornerstone event in industrial automation and manufacturing excellence.
Read more...How to claim CPD points SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
SAIMC makes it possible for you to claim CPD points for attending courses and technical meetings, or completing an online quiz on a SA Instrumentation & Control magazine.
Read more...SAIMC: From the office of the CEO:Slaughtering AI holy cows SAIMC
SAIMC
A couple of sessions at various dealers, a wrong delivery, a failed holiday plan, a two-week unplanned vacation and 32 kg of steel on the back seat awaited us as we left South Africa on a dream holiday. But let me start at the beginning.
Read more...SAIMC: Secunda branch SAIMC
SAIMC
At the most recent SAIMC Secunda technical evening, Jenine Jansen van Vuuren, sales account manager from Comtest Technologies, gave a presentation on the calibration of process instruments.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its October technology meeting, not on the first Wednesday of the month as usual, but on the second Wednesday to accommodate the very interesting presenter, Nico Erasmus from Abacus Automation.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The October Technology Evening was hosted by Pepperl+Fuchs. Patience Moila, the enterprise mobility expert for sub-Saharan Africa, presented on ‘Lone Worker Protection for the Mobile worker 4.0’.
Read more...SAIMC: It’s not black and white SAIMC
Editor's Choice SAIMC
Grey imports are a problem worldwide, not least in the automation industry in South Africa. The Supplier Advisory Council (SAC) operates under the umbrella of SAIMC, and is tackling this problem head-on.
Read more...How to claim CPD points SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
SAIMC makes it possible for you to claim CPD points for attending courses and technical meetings, or completing an online quiz on a SA Instrumentation & Control magazine.
Read more...SAIMC: From the office of the CEO: The real damage of fake news SAIMC
SAIMC
People depend on accurate information and their own reasoning and belief systems to draw conclusions or make decisions. However, when they are inundated with fake news, the reliability of the information they receive is compromised.
General manager, Mark Calvert (right) thanking Johan Huisamen for his presentation.
printer friendly version