Integrated Safety and Security by Design in the IT/OT Convergence of Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems

Abstract

The convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) in Industry 4.0 presents new challenges, necessitating innovative approaches to guarantee the safe and secure execution of production processes. Consequently, the safety and security of production systems have emerged as crucial elements, given that security incidents can result in severe consequences such as production failure, equipment damage, or human injury. Previously, in a stakeholder analysis, we investigated how Austrian industrial automation stakeholders manage safety and security risks. The study, which included vendors, integrators, and asset owners, focused on secure and safe infrastructures, system architectures, and risk management. Our findings revealed limited industry awareness and usage of the Reference Architecture Model Industrie (RAMI) 4.0, emphasizing the need for an economically viable, holistic approach to integrated security and safety by design. Moreover, we introduced a comprehensive ontology for safety, security, and operation requirements in the IT/OT convergence. Building on top of these works, we introduce a model-based engineering approach to implement integrated safety and security while designing industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). We model these systems precisely using System Modeling Language (SysML) 2.0 specification and verify the requirements.