Industry 4.0 is often presented as a complex, somewhat overwhelming topic that involves large companies only. However, the data collection and transfer at the heart of Industry 4.0 can be as relevant to job shops and other small to medium sized enterprises as large companies.
Long gone are the days where the only solution to human error was human correction. As engineers today, we have access to smart technology that no other generation could have ever imagined.
Automating job shops is accelerating, driven by the combined influence of Industry 4.0, the continued shortage of skilled manufacturing labor and the COVID pandemic.
FortiGaurd Labs recently reported that malware designed to attack industrial control systems is still a very lucrative attack method for cybercriminals. The EKANS ransomware family does just that, and manufacturers must be prepared for it.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major upheavals in manufacturing processes to avoid contamination while keeping supply chains intact.