VEGA— the black forest manufacturer of level, switching and pressure instrumentation — is on a security mission.
In January 2023, it reportedly delivered the world’s first level sensor with built-in cybersecurity features. With this new development, it recognises the increasing threat of cyber-criminality in the industry and is taking action to combat it.
From the outside, the VEGAPULS 6X radar sensor, together with its documentation, fits into its tailor-made carton which, at the end of the packaging line, gets its shipping label. The address is a chemical company in northern Hesse, Germany. But the customer receives something different from other level sensors previously available in the market. This sensor comes with cyber-protection as an integral component. It was developed in compliance with industrial cybersecurity standard IEC 62443-4-2 and thus meets the standards currently implemented in the process industry.
“Being able to use secure measurement data at all times is now one of the most important requirements of our customers,” said Florian Burgert, who was involved in the conception of the universal level sensor. “We hear this from customers in almost every industrial sector.” For extensive security, the production system as a whole and all built-in components have to be secure and comply with the standards.
When it comes to cybersecurity, plant operators want equipment to depend on in order to stay ahead of the latest threats. Having developed one instrument in compliance with IEC 62443, the company plans to develop products in accordance with existing security requirements with its certification as a guide. Protective measures will be consistently expanded to create a reliable basis for secure plant operation in the future.
