Trend Micro Incorporated†(TYO: 4704;†TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, has announced a new partnership with†Moxa Inc., a leader in industrial communication and networking, as part of its Technology Alliance Partner Program to jointly develop state-of-the-art solutions to protect Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments like smart manufacturing and smart energy.
IIoT projects offer organizations across a range of sectors the opportunity to become more agile, efficient and cost-effective. In manufacturing, oil and gas, and transportation, adoption of solutions†is estimated†to have reached 86 percent. Surging interest in IIoT is also driving a rapidly growing smart city market†predicted to be worth†over $2.5 trillion by 2025.
However, IIoT cyber risk continues to grow and threaten the success of IIoT applications. Insecure devices and networks can be exploited to sabotage industrial equipment, leveraged to cause damaging ransomware outages, or used to reach sensitive stores of corporate data elsewhere on enterprise networks. Many organizations struggle with securing their IIoT devices because these devices are at the crossroads of IT and OT organizations. The responsibility for their security is often unclear.
“We’re delighted to be entering this Technology Partnership Agreement with Moxa,” said Eva Chen, chief executive officer for Trend Micro. “IT and OT technology continue to converge, and organizations need support in securing the infrastructure shift and new connections on their network. Partnering with strong industry leaders like Moxa has been an important part of our strategy over the past 30 years.”
To provide the security necessary for edge connectivity, device management and product longevity for IIoT applications, the initial joint offering will focus on endpoint lockdown, firewalls for operational technology (OT) networks, and embedded security to add value for asset owners and plant operators across the globe.
“We are excited about our partnerships with industry leaders like Trend Micro, which allows our customers to take advantage of Moxa’s 30 years of OT, industrial networking and protocol expertise combined with Trend Micro’s extensive experience in cybersecurity and threat intelligence,” said†Andy Cheng, president, strategic business Unit, for Moxa. “This collaboration further equips us to help our customers overcome the challenges of IT and OT convergence and to address the needs of increasingly demanding industrial applications in the era of IIoT.”
Trend Micro identified the potential challenges faced by IIoT stakeholders early on and has been working on several fronts to secure the entire ecosystem, from datacenter to device. This includes developing and gathering intelligence on new vulnerabilities, collaborating closely with ISPs on Virtual Network Function-based security, and working on innovative new solutions with embedded computing developers and device manufacturers.
