Yokogawa Enhances Cybersecurity and Safety for the OpreX Control and Safety System Lineup

24 January 2022 | Monday | News


Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6841) announces that it has obtained ISASecure CSA Level 1 certification from the ISA Security Compliance Institute* (ISCI) for its CENTUM VP integrated production control system, a product in theOpreX™Control and Safety System family.
Image Source : Public Domain

Image Source : Public Domain

With this certification, Yokogawa’s  CENTUM VP integrated production control system and ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system now both  conform to the latest international security standards. In addition, the company has developed an enhanced  version of ProSafe-RS Lite that meets both explosion protection and marine standards, and an updated version  of the Plant Resource Manager (PRM) software that supports this latest version of the ProSafe-RS Lite. 

Due in part to factors such as the increased reliance on remote system access during the COVID-19 pandemic,  cyberattacks on production facilities are on the rise worldwide and are growing ever more sophisticated, and this  is driving a rising awareness of the need for compliance with international standards. Components that receive  ISASecure CSA certification conform to the IEC 62443-4-1 and IEC 62443-4-2 international standards pertaining to security for industrial automation and control systems.The ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system,  which conforms to safety integrity level SIL3, and the ProSafe-RS Lite, which meets SIL2 standards, obtained  ISASecure CSA Level 1 certification in May and July 2021, respectively. 

For CENTUM VP to qualify for ISASecure CSA Level 1 certification, a cyclic redundancy check function has  been added that periodically diagnoses the integrity of the programs and databases on a plant’s field control  stations. If an error is detected, a system alarm is issued. Upgrading to the latest CENTUM VP R6.09 also  enables operators to access Collaborative Information Server screens from their human interface stations, thus  enabling the acquisition in real time of data on the operational status of equipment and devices. 

In line with efforts to enhance safety, ProSafe-RS R4.07 has been developed, as a result of which ProSafe-RS  Lite now meets both explosion-protection standards (ATEX/IECEx/ECAS-Ex) and marine standards. This  means that this SIL2 system can be installed in plants and facilities where there is a risk of explosions, and on  LNG carriers and other vessels. By using it together with the SIL3-certified ProSafe-RS, which also meets both 

sets of standards, it is possible to optimize the cost of plant safety instrumentation based on the application. In  addition, PRM R4.05 has been developed to support devices that are connected to ProSafe-RS Lite. PRM uses  IT to detect signs of impending equipment malfunctions so that operators can be notified and take preemptive  action, thus reducing the risk of failures. 

With the development of highly secure and safe devices and systems, and the provision of support for their  operation, Yokogawa is able to offer a wide range of control system solutions. The certification and functional  enhancement of these solutions will contribute to safe and robust plant operations in many industries. 

*1 ISA Security Compliance Institute & ISASecure CSA 

Developed by the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI), the ISASecure CSA certification program focuses  on the security of embedded devices and related components (software applications, host devices, and network  devices). The ISCI's members come mainly from the International Society of Automation, and the principal  activity of this organization is the promotion of security certification for industrial control systems and control  devices. The ISASecure CSA certification program was launched in August 2019, replacing the ISASecure  EDSA certification program. It complies with the International Electrotechnical Commission's IEC 62443-4-2  and IEC 62443-4-1 international standards for security in industrial automation and control systems. 

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