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Published in: IT security

Integration of IoT devices: How OPC UA simplifies and secures onboarding

Integration of IoT devices: How OPC UA simplifies and secures onboarding

Integration of IoT devices: How OPC UA simplifies and secures onboarding

The digital transformation is bringing revolutionary changes to industrial production. The increasing and comprehensive networking of automation components such as controllers, sensors and actuators means that data is collected and analyzed in real time, leading to a significant increase in efficiency and productivity.
The advantages are manifold: higher production speed, improved quality assurance, reduced downtimes and greater adaptability to individual customer requirements.
At the same time, the digital transformation presents manufacturers and operators with new challenges. For example, increasing networking is leading to greater system complexity and an increased need for cyber security. New devices and systems must be seamlessly integrated into existing infrastructures without jeopardizing security or stability.
This requires standardized communication protocols, robust security mechanisms and simple configuration of the devices.

What is onboarding in industrial automation?

IoT devices must be transferred from their production state to a functional and secure state. The term "onboarding" describes the process of integrating and commissioning such an IoT device into an existing system.
This process includes several factors such as configuration, security modes and user and device certificates to ensure that the new elements are seamlessly and securely integrated into existing workflows and systems.

Why is secure onboarding necessary?

Onboarding devices and systems into industrial networks and automation environments is considered a critical process as it involves numerous challenges that directly impact the functionality, security and integration of the entire system.

Improper onboarding can lead to security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. It is therefore crucial to set up security protocols correctly to prevent unauthorized access to the network and data. It is also important to ensure that all data exchanged between the IoT device and other systems is encrypted to guarantee the integrity of the information.

What are the challenges of traditional onboarding?

Compatibility problems

Different devices and systems from different manufacturers often use proprietary protocols and interfaces, which makes integration complex and time-consuming.

Unauthorized access & data leaks
Adding new devices to a network poses security risks such as unauthorized access and data leaks.
Susceptibility to errors
Configuring new devices and systems can be complex and error-prone, especially in large networks.
Integration and data problems
Different devices often use different data models and formats, which makes it difficult to interpret and use the data.
OPC UA

OPC UA provides built-in security features that support secure onboarding by seamlessly integrating security protocol management and data encryption.

The introduction of OPC UA can significantly simplify and improve the onboarding process.

What is OPC UA?

OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a standard for industrial automation that enables communication and data exchange between different devices and systems. It was developed to extend and improve the earlier OPC standards (OPC Classic) by providing a more secure, platform-independent and scalable architecture.
The OPC UA protocol enables secure and reliable communication between industrial devices, but security depends crucially on the secure deployment of these devices. Insecure deployments can lead to eavesdropping and manipulation opportunities for attackers.

How does the onboarding process work with OPC UA?

1. checking the system compatibility
First of all, it must be ensured that the new IoT device or system complies with the OPC UA specification and is compatible with the existing infrastructure.
2. set up OPC UA Server
If the new device or system has an OPC UA server, the corresponding specifications must be configured. This includes the definition of endpoints, security guidelines and access controls.
3. setting up the security configurations
Once the IoT device has been physically installed, user authentication mechanisms such as user name, password and certificates must be configured and access rights and restrictions defined. In addition, encryption protocols must be implemented to ensure data integrity and confidentiality during data transmission.
4. client integration
The OPC UA client software must be set up to establish a connection to the OPC UA server of the new device or system. This includes entering the endpoint URL and, if necessary, the authentication information.
5. checking the data
The data provided by the OPC UA server must be checked to ensure that it is correct.

Why is OPC UA the preferred standard for industrial communication?

OPC UA is a preferred standard for industrial communication for several reasons:

Interoperability and integration

Thanks to the standardized and platform-independent architecture, devices and systems can communicate and integrate seamlessly with each other via OPC UA, regardless of manufacturer and platform.

Security

OPC UA provides comprehensive security features such as authentication, authorization, encryption and data integrity to ensure that only authorized devices gain access and data is protected.

Complexity of the configuration

OPC UA supports the automatic detection and configuration of devices (plug-and-play functionality), which reduces the effort and potential for errors when setting up new devices.

Reliability & availability

OPC UA provides mechanisms to ensure the reliability and availability of communication, such as redundancy, reconnection and robust error handling.

Standardized data models

OPC UA enables the creation of standardized information models that ensure a uniform and consistent representation of data and metadata.

Scalability

Thanks to its scalable architecture, OPC UA can be used effectively in both small and large networks without compromising performance.

Overall, OPC UA facilitates the onboarding of devices and systems into industrial networks by providing interoperability, security, easy configuration, scalability and reliability.
These features make OPC UA a flexible, secure and powerful solution for modern industrial communication requirements and contribute to the broad acceptance of this standard in the industry.
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