Carlos Buenaño highlights the key trends that security teams need to focus on in the coming months and years.

Rainer M. Richter argues that the best form of defence against cyber attacks is to undertake regular penetration testing of your own systems.

David Dearden offers suggestions on how machine builders can prevent operator bypass.

Safe Machine Ltd has published a new whitepaper – ‘EN 60204-1 for machine builders and panel builders – a guide to avoiding common errors’ which highlights the many ways that machinery can fail to comply with the requirements of this safety standard.

Martin Kidman explains what light curtains can contribute to machinery safety, factory control and productivity, looking at the functions and features that are available today.

Melina Diaz outlines the steps required to comply with legislation designed to ensure workplaces are optimally placed to minimise the possibility of combustible dust creating an explosion risk.

Suzanne Gill reports on the latest thinking of automation vendors, relating to cybersecurity in the OT environment.

Find out how the automation team at chemical company, Evonik has succeeded in safely extending the partial stroke test cycle, from one to three years, increases the economic efficiency of the plant.

With digital transformation comes the need for robust cyber security specific to the OT domain. Looking to the IT domain can offer solutions, argues Lee Carter.

Process safety refers to the comprehensive measures taken to minimise risks and hazards in industrial processes, ensuring that they run reliably and without accidents or incidents.

Mark Breese discusses Control of Work risk management and the effect that this can have on functional safety.

Roger Chen discusses the benefits of virtual patching solutions and argues that an operational technology (OT) centred cybersecurity platform is critical for industrial applications.

Suzanne Gill finds out that when it comes to cybersecurity the role of the human cannot be overemphasized. As industrial cybersecurity risks increase it is vital that all employees have a good understanding of their role in helping to ensure safe and secure operations.

Find out more about a solution that enables real-time data to be collected from machine safety devices.

Matthew Youngs discusses the key considerations of ATEX and IECEx certified electronics for use in hazardous applications.

Ian Wright offers advice to end users on what they need to know about their machinery manufacturer’s EMC obligations.

Suzanne Gill posed the following question to a variety of cybersecurity experts: 'What is the best piece of advice you can offer end-users keen to ensure that their connected OT devices do not offer a potential attack surface for bad actors?'

For industrial automation systems, seamless data connectivity is now as important as basic control functionality. Platforms providing built-in, defense-in-depth cybersecurity provisions are the best way to defend these highly connected solutions, argues Steve Rawlins.

Ilan Barda offers advice on securing operational technology devices.

Ethernet-APL was developed to enable digital communication in process automation from the sensor to the control level. It has all the features required by a process automation network. A recent whitepaper argues that, to exploit the advantages of digitalisation, functionally safe automation should also be implemented utilising the same network architecture.