News
Vacon and F-Secure to join forces for industrial automation security research
November 2010 by Marc Jacob
Global AC drive manufacturer Vacon and global computer security provider F-Secure have decided to team up on computer security research in industrial automation applications.
The idea on close cooperation between the two companies came after the case of the Stuxnet malware. As a forerunner in using industrial automation processes, Vacon brought its first software-based AC drives to the market in the middle of 1990s. Although the Stuxnet malware does not directly infect Vacon’s AC drives, Vacon regard this incident as a very important lesson for the whole industry to learn. F-Secure, a global antivirus company and leader in providing software as a service through operators, has analysed the threat posed by Stuxnet in detail and published a comprehensive Q&A on the F-Secure’s blog
– Stuxnet proves that factory automation systems can and will be targeted by malware. I’m afraid we will see more attacks like this, says Mikko Hyppönen, Chief Research Officer at F-Secure.
Industrial automation beyond Stuxnet
Vacon and F-Secure want to raise the industry’s awareness, understanding and know-how in the domains of industrial automation processes and data communication so that the industry can be prepared for such risks in the future.
