D-Sig’s aim is to protect industrial data from cyber-attack /industrial espionage. Compromise of this data could be highly damaging to a company’s reputation and have commercial or safety implications
In Chemicals and Steel manufacture, data such as product volumes and quality, plus environmental monitoring data can be commercially sensitive. It is important therefore that this data is protected from external parties. However, the data in question is typically brought together from a number of separate sources, for example using a site wide Information System.
Implementing such a system would have traditionally required the use of fibre optic cables, these running along pipe bridges and underneath roads, to physically connect the chemical plants with a centralised computer. Today a private 5G network might be installed instead, which is both cheaper and more flexible in that it can collect data from more remote locations. For example, collecting air quality data from the top of industrial chimneys, or from selected locations downwind is feasible. Data from trusted sources, e.g. IoT devices or Plant Control Systems, is sent over 5G to a Private cloud application sitting within the 5G network, and summary data sent to the public cloud for wider access. The benefits of using a private cloud are the ability to process large amounts of data as well as providing a faster response.
The 5G network is fully secure Sim to Sim, however there are points of potential weakness or gaps, which can be made secure by using D-Sig Secure Data Connector software, running within the 5G network and within the public cloud. D-Sig hardware devices called Cryptographic Co-processors, protect both the data itself and the unique cryptographic private keys. The D-Sig system ensures data is completely secure from endpoint to endpoint, the source of the data can be verified using certificates issued by the inbuilt D-Sig Certification Authority, and access is on a 'need to know' basis.
Manufacturing companies are working to improve the efficiency of their processes by the use of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms. These algorithms evolve over time as more real-time data is collected. This can result in significant intellectual property rights for the company.
The real-time data and the algorithms need to be protected from unauthorised access. D-Sig’s solution for this is to protect the data at source and for the machine learning /artificial intelligence algorithms to execute within protected cryptographic hardware devices. In this way both the data and the algorithms are protected.
Modern vehicles contain a large number of software programmable Electronic Control Units (ECUs) that control both the vehicle’s functions and safety.
It is imperative that the correct software builds are installed in the appropriate ECUs and maintained over time. There can be many thousands of different software builds depending on vehicle models, model years and added options. These software builds clearly need to be protected and maintained.
D-Sig’s solution is to allow the suppliers of the ECU software to digitally sign each software build and to securely transfer these to the vehicle manufacturer. This protects the software from both unauthorised access and modification.