Background
Under the impetus of the Industry 4.0 strategy, various industries are accelerating their transition to smart manufacturing. Cranes are equipped with integrated sensors to enable remote monitoring via the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital platforms. Manufacturing relies on such equipment to optimize production processes, while ports use industrial IoT (IIoT) to coordinate container loading and unloading. These transformations have significantly improved production efficiency but have also broken down the boundaries of traditional industrial networks, integrating commercial networks with industrial networks and creating potential security risks for industrial internet security. The core of smart manufacturing lies in restructuring production models through technology: IoT enables device interconnectivity, cloud computing supports data storage, big data drives decision analysis, and robots handle automated operations. The deep integration of these technologies transforms production from “isolated processes” into “end-to-end collaboration.” However, this collaboration also means that security risks no longer remain confined to individual devices or processes but can rapidly spread across networks, data, and systems, presenting new challenges for industrial internet security.
Cybersecurity Risk Analysis in the Field of Intelligent Manufacturing
With the advancement of intelligent manufacturing informatization, cybersecurity risks have become increasingly apparent in multiple dimensions, including equipment, communications, and data. These risks can be summarized into three major categories:
Equipment Application Level: Weak Protection Capabilities, Susceptible To Attack And Penetration
The key difference between smart manufacturing equipment and traditional manufacturing equipment lies in the addition of “smart units” such as embedded operating systems and control systems. This transforms the equipment from mere “mechanical components” into potential “entry points” for cyberattacks. Some devices have vulnerabilities in their operating systems. Once infected with malware, they can trigger a chain reaction—Italian cybersecurity experts once demonstrated in a real-world test that they could bypass the security system of a construction site crane using only a laptop, radio hardware, and a custom attack script. Even when the construction company had shut down the official transmitter and the equipment was in “stop” mode, they successfully controlled the crane to start and perform lifting operations, and could even manipulate excavators, loaders, and other types of equipment. This case directly demonstrates that smart devices lacking security protection can be easily hijacked by attackers, potentially leading to production accidents or property damage.
In core industrial production scenarios, such security risks are even more pronounced. Critical industrial control devices such as distributed control systems (DCS) and programmable logic controllers (PLC) inherently lack robust security protection capabilities. Many factories have not yet implemented proper isolation between their internal networks and IoT networks, allowing external threats to penetrate directly into the factory premises. What is even more concerning is that in some scenarios, for the sake of convenience, some facilities have simplified or even eliminated device authentication and authorization functions, effectively leaving the door wide open for attackers.
Management Software And Data Application Level: Risk Escalation Under Full Cycle Coverage
Smart manufacturing deeply integrates production execution systems (MES), production resource management systems (ERP), product lifecycle management systems (PLM), and workshop equipment, forming a management system that covers the entire cycle of “design, production, and operation.” However, this integration also complicates security risks: on one hand, application software is constantly exposed to virus and malware threats, and any vulnerabilities in the host computer could potentially paralyze the entire control system; on the other hand, the volume and complexity of production data continue to grow, with frequent data exchanges between devices, yet there are no unified regulatory standards in place, leaving the risk of data theft or tampering persistently high — for example, the leakage of core production parameters could lead to the replication of product formulas; and if data is tampered with, it could result in all produced products being non-compliant.
Communication Network Level: IP-Based And Wireless Technologies Amplify Security Risks
In today’s smart factories, network IP-based and wireless technologies are widely adopted. However, these two approaches inadvertently create a “breeding ground” for security risks. The TCP/IP protocol underlying IP-based systems is vulnerable to established attack methods, enabling attackers to directly target factory networks; In terms of wireless connectivity, factory AGVs, CNC machines, and warehouse logistics units all rely on wireless sensor networks for connectivity. However, the complex wireless environment on-site makes it easy for unauthorized access or control to occur—for example, someone could hijack wireless signals to alter AGV routes or steal production data transmitted by devices, both of which would directly impact normal production operations.
Countermeasures for Cybersecurity Risks in Smart Manufacturing Scenarios
Device Application: Building a Partition Isolation and Dynamic Monitoring System
At the device application level, a security system should be established based on four dimensions: permissions, protection, vulnerabilities, and data. On the one hand, strict identity and permission controls should be implemented. For example, for critical equipment such as 10-ton overhead cranes, identity authentication, hierarchical access control, and device whitelist policies should be used to ensure that front-line operators can only control lifting within pre-set parameters, while engineers have the authority to modify operating thresholds, thereby avoiding the risk of unauthorized operations from the source. On the other hand, terminal security protection must be deployed simultaneously, using antivirus software, log auditing, and security PLCs and host machine whitelist controls to block illegal data transmission. Additionally, regular industrial control equipment security assessments must be conducted to patch system vulnerabilities. Combined with real-time monitoring of serial port and network port data via intelligent security terminals, data auditing must be implemented from the control layer to the operational layer to ensure the authenticity and reliability of transmission and execution processes, thereby comprehensively enhancing equipment security levels.
Management Software And Data Applications: Multiple Measures To Strengthen Security Defenses
To address security risks associated with management software and data applications, a response plan should be developed with a focus on “standardized development, dynamic protection, and encrypted backup.” First, establish application development standards and operational environment specifications to reduce system vulnerabilities. At the same time, establish a real-time vulnerability monitoring and patch update mechanism to promptly remove viruses and address security risks. Second, strengthen data security management by encrypting and storing sensitive information such as production data and operational instructions, and implementing multiple backups to ensure data integrity and recoverability. Additionally, enforce strict authentication for control system data packets and operational instructions, and apply encryption technology during transmission to prevent data theft or tampering. Finally, utilize real-time monitoring data for security analysis to further enhance data protection capabilities and operational efficiency, ensuring the stable operation of a management system covering the entire lifecycle from “design, production, to operations.”
Communication Network: Combination Of Partition Isolation And Precise Protection
The security protection of communication networks must be planned simultaneously during the equipment installation phase, establishing a multi-layered defense system through “zone isolation + dynamic monitoring + wireless protection.” In terms of network architecture, security zones such as the “equipment control zone,” ” data storage domain,“ and ”office domain.“ For example, during overhead crane installation, logical isolation between domains can be achieved through industrial firewalls and isolation devices in the track laying and electrical wiring layout phases. This ensures that crane control signals are transmitted exclusively within the “device control domain” and do not intersect with the office network.Even if a single domain is attacked, the risk will not spread across domains. Based on this, an industrial control security audit system can be used to monitor data traffic in real time, detect abnormal communications, and issue timely alerts. For wireless application scenarios, real-time monitoring controllers can be deployed to counter wireless interference, control legitimate connections, and locate potential attack sources. Additionally, encryption can be implemented for cross-network and wireless communications, and password and key management can be strengthened to minimize the risk of information theft.
Summary
In the context of smart manufacturing, the industrial internet has broken down the boundaries between commercial networks and industrial networks, blurring traditional boundary concepts. The complex and ever-changing network environment, coupled with the vulnerabilities of information systems and industrial control systems, presents multi-dimensional security challenges across devices, networks, controls, applications, data, and personnel. To effectively address these issues, industrial internet application companies, security service providers, and regulatory authorities must establish a collaborative mechanism, coordinating efforts across institutional reform, management optimization, personnel training, and technological innovation to build a multi-layered defense architecture. At the same time, a comprehensive security system covering prediction, protection, detection, and response should be established based on big data and threat intelligence to ensure that intrusions can be quickly detected, classified, and dealt with, and production can be restored in the event of an attack. Only by continuously improving emergency response strategies and optimizing response times can the security capabilities of the industrial Internet be comprehensively enhanced, providing a solid foundation for the stable development of smart manufacturing.
