Secure Sandboxes for Industrial Automation Collaboration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial process control and automation systems face challenges in streamlining interactions between end users, owners, and multiple third parties, such as integrators and OEMs, due to a lack of standard mechanisms for service provisioning, leading to complexity and inefficiency, especially in remote operations where physical distance and resource constraints are significant.
Innovation Solution
A secure, cloud-based platform is created to facilitate cooperative engineering, operation, and maintenance by establishing securely-partitioned system sandboxes for third parties, allowing selective activation of content and standardization of equipment configuration, while ensuring cyber-security and control under the ownership of end users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple third parties are allowed to access and modify control system configurations, then service capability and collaboration efficiency are improved, but system security and control authority deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the control environment into multiple isolated sandboxes, each assigned to a specific third party. These sandboxes are securely partitioned within the control system, allowing each third party to work independently on configuration tasks without interfering with or compromising the overall system security. The segmentation enables parallel service provisioning while maintaining security boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system owner acts as an intermediary who manages the sandboxes and controls access to the control system configuration. The owner can selectively activate or deactivate third-party access to specific configuration elements, serving as a mediator between the need for third-party service capability and the requirement for system security. This intermediary control mechanism allows flexible authorization without compromising security.
2Adaptability or versatility
If third parties can directly access and modify control system configurations, then service capability is improved, but system complexity and integration difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the control system into isolated sandboxes for each third party, the system eliminates the need for complex integration mechanisms between different third-party tools and processes. Each sandbox provides a standardized, self-contained environment that simplifies integration while maintaining high service capability. The segmentation approach allows multiple third parties to work simultaneously without creating integration complexity.
3Productivity
If remote service provisioning is enabled, then operational efficiency is improved, but cyber-security risks and loss of physical control worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The sandbox architecture segments remote access into isolated, controlled environments. Each third party operates within their own sandbox boundaries, which are securely managed by the control system owner. This segmentation enables remote service provisioning and improves operational efficiency while mitigating cyber-security risks through enforced isolation and controlled access points.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system owner serves as an intermediary who manages remote access through the sandbox mechanism. The owner can selectively activate or deactivate remote access to specific configuration elements, providing a controlled interface between remote third parties and the control system. This intermediary control enables operational efficiency while maintaining security oversight and reducing cyber-security risks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes creating, in a secure platform, multiple securely-partitioned system sandboxes under control of at least one user associated with an industrial process control and automation system. Different system sandboxes are associated with different third parties who are not owners or operators of the industrial process control and automation system. The method also includes receiving content from the third parties in the system sandboxes. The method further includes receiving from the at least one user a selective activation of at least some of the content in the system sandboxes in order to place the at least some of the content into use by the industrial process control and automation system. The content could include equipment configurations for equipment associated with the industrial process control and automation system, and the equipment configurations could include control strategies and visualizations for the equipment.