Cyber Resilience Act:

What is the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)?

The Cyber Resilience Act, which was passed by the European Parliament in March 2024, aims to establish strict cyber security standards and practices. Its main aim is to ensure that all users can rely on the security of their connected devices and systems throughout their lifecycle.

For the industrial sector, which relies heavily on remote connectivity to monitor, control and manage operations, the CRA provides a comprehensive framework to protect critical infrastructure.

What are the main objectives of the Cyber Resilience Act?

The 5 main objectives of the CRA are as follows

1. improving security:
Ensure the security of digital products from design to end of life, including supply chain security. Ewon's solutions set the standard in the industrial connectivity market and play an active role in ensuring the security of its customers' assets.

2. increasing accountability:
Manufacturers and developers are held accountable for non-compliance with safety standards.

3. ensure rapid response:
Require regular, mandatory updates to protect against new threats.

4. improve transparency:
Facilitate rapid sharing of security information to protect users.

5. strengthening the EU's competitiveness:
Establish clear security rules with accompanying certifications to make European digital products more secure and globally competitive.

Why is the Cyber Resilience Act important for industrial connectivity?

The impact of the CRA on industrial connectivity is profound. Industries that rely on remote access to monitor, control and manage operations will benefit from the CRA's comprehensive cybersecurity framework.

Critical infrastructure protection
Industrial facilities, including manufacturing plants, energy grids and wastewater treatment systems, are vital to the functioning of society. The CRA aims to protect these critical infrastructures by putting in place measures to prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber incidents. This ensures minimal downtime and maintains operational integrity.

Sharing cybersecurity information
The CRA also stipulates that incidents must be reported to the relevant authorities so that information can be shared with similar companies or sectors, putting them on "high alert".

Mitigating cyber threats
The industrial sector is increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in remotely connected systems. These threats range from ransomware attacks to state-sponsored cyber espionage attacks. The CRA requires rigorous security practices and testing to mitigate the risks and strengthen these industrial systems.

Ensuring compliance
Compliance with the CRA is not left to the goodwill of individual companies. It is a binding regulation for all and sanctions are foreseen for those who do not comply. Every industrial player is therefore obliged to ensure compliance with the standards in order to avoid financial and reputational damage or even exclusion from the European market.

How to improve cyber resilience in industrial connectivity?

To comply with the CRA and improve cyber resilience, industrial organizations should:

Implement strong authentication and access controls
Access management is critical to risk prevention. Only authorized individuals should be able to access remote access systems. In this regard, multi-factor authentication and strict access controls significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Encrypted remote connections provided by Ewon solutions also increase the cyber security of industrial infrastructures and are included in the CRA requirements list.

Conduct regular security training and awareness programs
Human error is one of the main causes of cybersecurity incidents. Regular training and awareness programs provide employees with the knowledge and skills they need to recognize and respond effectively to cyber threats.

Collaboration with cyber security experts
For an industrial company, building partnerships with cybersecurity experts means that it always has up-to-date information on threats and receives valuable advice on how to deal with them. Such collaboration also helps companies understand the complexities of CRA regulations. This is why HMS Networks works with NVISO and Kiwa, for example.

Preparing for the cybersecurity challenges of today and tomorrow
The Cyber Resilience Act is a critical step in addressing the major cybersecurity challenges in remote industrial connectivity. By enforcing strong security measures and best practices on a daily basis, the CRA aims to ensure the resilience of industrial operations against cyber threats. As our world becomes increasingly connected, with over 500,000 Ewon devices connected worldwide, it is vital to take measures to protect critical infrastructure. This will ensure the smooth and secure operation of industrial systems and secure our technological future.

For further questions about cyber security:

If you have any questions about cyber security, please contact: ewonsecurity(at)hms-networks.com

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