March 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com 8 n NEWS THERE WERE MORE THAN 420 million cyberattacks on the world’s critical infrastructure last year – equivalent to 13 attacks every second, and a 30% increase on 2022 – according to a new report by the cyber-research organisation, Forescout Research. The report, 2023 Global Threat Roundup, analyses attacks on sectors including manufacturing, power, communications, waste and transportation. It nds that OT (operational technology) systems are “under relentless assault”, with industrial automation installations accounting to 71% of these attacks, followed by power grids on 28%, and building automation systems on 1%. Five protocols bear the brunt of the attacks, with Modbus subject to a “staggering” 33% of all attacks, followed by Ethernet/IP, Step7 and DNP3, each accounting for around 18% of the onslaught. IEC10X accounts for 10% of attacks, with the remaining 2% being distributed among other protocols, the largest of which is the building control protocol BACnet. The report nds that 163 countries suered attacks last year with the US being the main target, with 168 malicious actors setting their sights on it. In second place was the UK, targeted by 88 actors, followed by Germany (77), India (72) and Japan (66). Nearly half of the attackers came from just three countries: China (with 155), Russia (88) and Iran (45). Although there fewer attacks on software libraries last year, Forescout reports a surge in exploits that target network infrastructures and IoT devices. The most common IoT targets included IP cameras, building automation systems, and network-attached storage. The report nds that only 35% of the exploited vulnerabilities appear in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) list compiled by the US government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, CISA. Despite the challenges posed by the surge in cyber-attacks, Elisa Costante, Forescout’s vice-president of research at Forescout Research, is optimistic about the future. “While it's true that current eorts have fallen short in fully harnessing crucial technology to fortify critical assets and assess risks, there is an opportunity for improvement,” she says. “The key lies in achieving comprehensive visibility, ensuring real-time contextual awareness of every device, whether managed or unmanaged.” https://www.forescout.com/resources/ research-report_2023-threat-roundup Cyberattacks soar to 13 per second – with OT being a key target QPT, the Cambridge-based start-up developing next-generation GaNbased motor drives, has appointed Rupert Baines as its CEO with eect from April. The semiconductor industry veteran has been advising QPT for the past two years and will help to accelerate growth as the company reaches the prototype phase. Magnomatics, the developer of magnetic transmissions and ultracompact motors, has appointed Joe Kitchen as operations director. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the manufacturing and operations management, including a period as head of operational excellence at Siemens Gamesa. Magnomatics was formed in 2006 as a spin-out from the University of Sheeld to commercialise novel products based on an ecient magnetic gear technology. The robotics software company Bow has appointed Nick Thompson as CEO. The company, established in 2020 as a spin-out from the University of Sheeld, aims to become a global leader. Thompson is an entrepreneur who founded the software development rm, One Beyond (originally DCSL Software) before selling it to private equity. Bow’s founder, Daniel Camilleri, is taking on the role of CTO and product visionary. Nick Hart has been appointed to the new role of director of wholesale at Hylec-APL, the manufacturer and supplier of electrical and electromechanical components. The appointment marks a return to the company for Hart who was previously its head of wholesale before leaving to spend three years as sales director at the water-resistant electronics manufacturer, ProofVision. Modbus accounts for a third of attacks on OT systems Source: Forescout Research EVENTS Mach 2024 15-19 April, 2024 NEC, Birmingham Described as “the UK’s only live, national event showcasing sustainable, innovative technologies used across the manufacturing spectrum”, Mach 2024 will introduce a series of hubs focusing on specic technologies: automation and robotics; data and AI; energy eciency; additive manufacturing; and tooling. Each hub will be managed by one of the specialist centres from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. www.machexhibition.com Hannover Messe 22-26 April, 2024 Hannover, Germany The industrial megashow returns bringing together exhibitors from digital industries, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics and the energy sector. Key topics will include Industry 4.0/Manufacturing-X, digitisation, AI and machine learning. The fair will include a Research and Innovation Summit for the rst time. The partner country is Norway. www.hannovermesse.de/en CWIEME Berlin 14-16 May, 2024 Berlin, Germany The world’s largest show dedicated to motor manufacturing, coil winding, transformers, generators and emobility, expects to welcome more than 6,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors over its three days. More than 50 speakers have been lined up for the event, oering more than 25 hours of content. There will be a new zone dedicated to start-ups in areas including high-performance motors, sensors and power electronics. https://berlin.cwiemeevents.com Drives & Controls 5-6 June, 2024 NEC, Birmingham Now part of Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week, the Drives & Controls show will run alongside other events including Air-Tech, Fluid Power & Systems, Maintec, Smart Factory Expo and Design & Engineering Expo. It will cover areas including industrial automation, energy eciency, machine safety, drives, motion controls, power transmission and robotics. www.mandeweek.co.uk/ drives-controls-expo-home Smart Manufacturing & Engineering Week 5-6 June, 2024 NEC, Birmingham The event will include the Maintec, Smart Factory Expo and Design & Engineering Expo shows and will run alongside Drives & Controls, Air-Tech, Fluid Power & Systems. The organisers say the “Festival of Industrial Innovation” represents the future of manufacturing and engineering in the UK. As well as the exhibitions there will be conferences and summits. www.mandeweek.co.uk
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=