7 Short Questions to
Remote Device Management &
Industrial Cyber Security
Work Group Leads
The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance is a practice-oriented community for the digitalization of industry, with members cooperating in various work and project groups.
In this interview, we asked the leads of two technology work groups 7 questions about their work processes behind the scenes.
Vitaliy Volevach is the Chief Product Owner at Siemens in Erlangen and the developer of the Industrial Asset Hub, a SaaS solution for managing devices in production. He has held various product management roles at Siemens since 2013, most recently as Head of Product Management for the Siemens Industrial Edge Platform. Vitaliy acts as the OI4 Remote Device Management (RDM) Work Group Co-Lead in the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance.
Martin Flöer is the Strategic Program Manager for the Automation Products and Solution Division at Weidmüller in Paderborn. Martin, together with Vitaliy, is a Co-Lead of the OI4 Remote Device Management Work Group in the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance.
Daniel Bitzer has been the Manager for Industrial Security at ifm since 2019, with global responsibility for Product and OT Security in the Global Security Services department, and leads the Industrial Cyber Security (ICS) Work Group for the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance. Daniel has had great enthusiasm for IT topics since childhood and has gained experience in various facets of IT throughout his career. He is also a part-time lecturer at the FOM in Siegen.
Below you can find the answers of experts to our 7 questions.
1. What is the goal of the OI4 Vulnerability & Remote Device Management Work Group, and how is it working to achieve this goal?
Our focus is on the transparency of the installed base (hardware and software) in production with the aim of identifying vulnerabilities at an early stage. We always keep the inventory information and configurations up-to-date, which means weak points can be permanently tracked. One advantage of having a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) is that licenses can also be tracked to avoid violations. We offer a platform for the entire OI4 ecosystem that acts as an interface for tracking SBOMs. Of course, direct communication, workshops, and regular coordination are also important to us and help us achieve our goals.
2. What is the goal of the OI4 Industrial Cyber Security Work Group and how is it being achieved?
The aim of the Industrial Cyber Security Work Group is to act as a sparring partner for other work groups and to share topics, expertise, experience, and best practices. To this end, the work group currently considers external factors such as regulations or standards (NIS, MVO, CRA, RED) and passes these on to other work groups. The group also supports other work groups in relevant ICS topics.
3. Which member companies are particularly involved in these two topics?
The companies most involved in these topics include conplement AG, Weidmüller, Siemens, ifm, Software AG, Beckhoff, and Hilscher. Strictly speaking, all companies are involved because safety is becoming increasingly important for every firm worldwide, whether they are component manufacturers, integrators, or machine manufacturers.
4. What dependencies and synergies exist with other projects and work groups?
We coordinate with other working groups as required to address cross-cutting issues. Together with the ICS (Industrial Cyber Security) work group, we assess the impact of current regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and how we can help OI4 members meet these requirements.
5. How are member companies and project groups linked to each other?
We use Confluence as a central wiki for our files and hold regular virtual team meetings on current topics. Additionally, we establish traditional links through email correspondence and hold on-site workshops with other companies at least twice a year.
6. What projects are currently being worked on together?
All Open Industry 4.0 Alliance projects are being developed jointly, such as the Digital Twin project. In the RDM working group, the topic of Software Bill of Material (SBOM) is currently being addressed together with the ICS. Specifically, we are exploring how SBOM information based on OT inventory information can be provided in a centralized manner to quickly and specifically identify potential weaknesses in individual software components.
7. What do you see as the greatest advantage of the project groups for the participating companies?
We see the biggest advantages as being the early involvement and co-determination in developed standards and the guarantee of interoperability. The project groups can serve as a blueprint for implementation in your own company. Of course, aspects such as the exchange of knowledge and experience and the opportunity to network are also major advantages. It is easier to find contacts at other companies for current topics without having to hire an external consulting company.