4/28/2022 4:22 PM | |
Joined: 11/24/2018 Last visit: 9/30/2024 Posts: 29 Rating:
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Hello experts, Recently a proposal was made to upgrade the firmware of around a hundred S7-300/400 PLCs, some of which are over 20 years old, in our plant. To my knowledge none of them have ever been so upgraded. The reason for this proposal is to brace the PLCs against cyber attacks. We do have an OT layer and a very vigilant IT team to guard our networks. Going through the descriptions of the firmware upgrades, I found very little in the way of networking improvements. We do not use any webservers. I wonder, if anyone has done this before and whether there were undo complications as a result? Any input would be greatly valued. Thank you very much & have a great day! DBM |
5/9/2022 5:05 PM | |
Joined: 9/21/2006 Last visit: 5/25/2023 Posts: 247 Rating:
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Updating to the latest firmware available for your CPUs will have some positive effect on the security "hardness" of your system. However, the effects will be limited because:
I recommend that you look at Security with SIMATIC-S7 controllers if you have not already done so: not all of the recommendations apply to S7-300/400 PLCs, but many of them do. Additionally, I recommend looking at "Defense in Depth" strategies detailed in Operational Guidelines for Industrial Security. Putting in security devices to isolate automation networks from other networks may be a more effective cybersecurity strategy for older PLCs. |
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