mGuard industrial guarantees security in industrial Ethernet
Innominate offers first hardware firewall to provide virus protection for automation technology.
Berlin, 26 July 2005 – Berlin-based Innominate Security Technologies AG today announced the expansion of its range of products for " device attached security" to include a solution for IT systems in industrial manufacturing. mGuard industrial is a professional hardware firewall which can be mounted on DIN rails. It protects individual systems and functional groups in industrial Ethernet networks against attacks from external sources and unauthorized access from internal ones. mGuard industrial is the first device designed for production networks offering comprehensive virus protection as an option. Innominate's Security Configuration Manager (ISCM) is another unique solution for industrial automation which can be used to establish security policies for all mGuard systems.
Proprietary data protocols and network technologies are gradually being replaced in the production control sector by standards such as Ethernet and TCP/IP, which have long been established in office environments. On the basis of this shared infrastructure, office and production networks are beginning to merge. This presents industrial firms with great potential for increasing efficiency, because production control systems can be connected directly with enterprise resource planning and supply chain management systems. Furthermore, only a single technical infrastructure then needs to be established and maintained.
At the same time, however, such cross-environment infrastructures have opened the door to viruses, trojans and hacker attacks which the previously isolated - and hence relatively secure - industrial networks rarely had to deal with. "The security risks involved in using industrial Ethernet networks are not yet being taken seriously by many companies," says Olaf Siemens, CEO of Innominate. "This is in spite of the fact that a systems failure in manufacturing can quickly become very costly. Our configurable mGuard industrial firewall individually protects automation networks and industrial computers against unauthorized access and all types of threats, regardless of the operating system."
mGuard industrial is deployed between the Ethernet interface and the manufacturing computer, and it takes over this computer's MAC and IP address. This Stealth Mode, as it's known, makes the firewall invisible to intruders from the outside. By protecting every single computer with its own firewall – a principle Innominate calls "device attached security" – a production network can remain operational even if one machine experiences faulty operation or becomes infected by a virus. In addition to providing protection against hackers, mGuard industrial enables encrypted connections between individual systems. These Virtual Private Networks (VPN) make it possible to monitor access with the utmost precision.
Specially established VPNs in connection with individually coordinated security policies can prevent the accidental input of incorrect information by a company's own employees. Additionally, access rights can be granted to external maintenance technicians for individual computers, while all other systems remain inaccessible to them. Since mGuard industrial does not have a fan or other moving parts, it will remain functional for up to fifteen years.
Availability and pricing
Two versions of mGuard industrial will be available immediately: mGuard industrial enterprise FW (firewall) and mGuard industrial enterprise XL (firewall plus VPN). mGuard industrial enterprise FW can be purchased through Innominate's worldwide partners for a list price of EUR 690, while mGuard industrial enterprise XL is available for a list price of EUR 940.
Innominate Security Configuration Manager
With the Innominate Security Configuration Manager (ISCM), security settings can be established centrally by "drag and drop" in the graphical user interface. These settings can then be uploaded to the individual mGuard firewalls. It is also easy to configure VPN connections between individual mGuards or other gateways.
Innominate Stealth Mode
With Innominate's patented Stealth Mode, an Innominate mGuard can recognize the IP and MAC address of the computer it is protecting and take over these addresses for itself. The firewall can therefore be reached and configured using the address of "its" computer in the network. This also makes it impossible for hackers to find the mGuards. The mGuard system cannot be bypassed since it is directly connected to the computer's Ethernet interface. Stealth Mode also makes it possible to integrate an mGuard without having to change the configuration of the entire network.
About Innominate Security Technologies AG
Berlin-based Innominate Security Technologies AG is a specialist for security appliances in the field of industrial communication (M2M) and in securing individual IT systems. Founded in 2001, the company, through its mGuard product line, offers firewall, VPN and anti-virus functionalities. The mGuard appliances are being sold in various designs such as dongles, PCI cards, blade servers or DIN rail compatible devices
