ICIL 4_0

The main focus of this project is to create general awareness within the Flemish industry and logistics sectors about the real risks related to cybersecurity. The goal is to activate this target audience to enhance their cybersecurity capacity.

The Pilot Project for Cybersecurity in Industry and Logistics 4.0 (ICIL 4.0) is a continuation of the ICI 4.0 initiative. The latter demonstrated that translating a legal text from a regulation, such as the NIS directive, should proceed in two phases: first, establishing a business approach, emphasizing its benefits for the company, and then developing a technology approach. Additionally, there is a lack of cybersecurity (CS) knowledge among businesses. There is a fundamental difference between CS in operational technology (OT) networks and information technology (IT) networks (OT refers to the hardware and software used in a company).

The EU aims to address cybersecurity issues through regulations, but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not comprehend the legal texts of these regulations. Furthermore, SMEs, which play a prominent role in the industrial and logistics supply chain, perceive investing in CS as additional costs. They underestimate its added value. Additionally, IT and OT employees do not speak the same language.

A demonstrator developed in the ICI 4.0 initiative for an OT network can be used to illustrate the CS challenges related to connectivity between IT, OT, and the value chain. This helps companies and SMEs better understand these issues.