Industrial managers place a lot of trust in the proper operation of their control systems.  Failed or compromised industrial devices can lead to safety and environmental incidents.

UL announced that GE Appliances is the world’s first household appliance brand to test its connected products against the UL IoT Security Rating assessment.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire privately held Avnet Data Security, LTD, an Israeli-based cybersecurity provider with over 20 years of experience providing cybersecurity services.

Overview

Astute readers will observe that this year’s “Key Technology Trends” report builds on many of the same trends ARC Advisory Group discussed in

It is often forgotten that North American rural communities have the same cybersecurity challenges as large cities.  Cyber-attacks, most frequently in the form of ransomware, made big headlines when they affected cities like Atlanta and Baltimore.  The Atlanta attack, for example, disrupted many key city services.  Various sources report the total cost of that attack at between $12 million and $17 million.  While attacks on large US cities have had significant financial and operational impact, these same kinds of attacks, on a much smaller scale, can have a much more significant impact on smaller, more rural communities.