Industrial Product Security

Beyond the basics

TNO’s approach to Industrial Product Security reaches far beyond the current practice, where cybersecurity is an afterthought and vulnerabilities are only identified and patched after the fact. Threats like ransomware and Intellectual Property theft can threaten a company’s entire business model, and must be addressed before breaches occur, whenever possible. Products are also becoming part of a larger production or information chain, in which there can be no weak links. To resolve challenges like these, a standard security solution will never suffice.

Our leading research, in close collaboration with academic partners, means we’re preparing your systems for tomorrow’s threats, not just today’s. And our extensive partnerships with other high-tech companies means we’ll find the right solutions to your specific challenges, while being forever mindful of your bottom line, your competitive edge, your proprietary technologies, and your future ambitions.

Precision security for precision engineering

High-tech manufacturing demands precision security that is customised to unique aspects of each product and system. Through cybersecurity by design, we embed protection and extensive testing into every new development. When next-generation sensor arrays or upgraded control software is added to a product, we can add the security controls that are as integral to the design as the performance specifications are.

With autonomous cyber resilience, we create systems that can monitor themselves, adapt to threats, and maintain operation even when under attack. We enable systems to defend themselves while they continue to operate, similar to the way the human immune system fights infection while the body is still performing other tasks.

When downtime means millions

At TNO, we understand that every minute of unexpected downtime cascades through the entire supply chain. When precision systems fail, stakeholders at every step in the chain are impacted. Effective security isn’t just about preventing attacks – it’s about enabling reliable and stable performance. TNO recognises that making systems more robust also boosts their performance and reliability. And robustness includes higher levels of security.

Systems designed with security at their core experience fewer failures, require less emergency maintenance, and operate with the consistency that precision manufacturing demands. In this way, we recognise security to be a performance enhancer, not an inhibitor. Together with our partners, we develop the right security technologies to enable long-term, reliable, and consistent performance that becomes a true business advantage.

The legacy challenge

Extraordinary industrial products and systems represent decades of innovation, billions in investment, and the cutting edge of what’s possible. They aren’t built in a day, and they aren’t replaced every few years. They are 20-, 30- or even 40-year investments designed to evolve through countless upgrades and modifications.

TNO recognises this technological paradox. The very longevity that makes these products valuable, also makes them vulnerable. Each new component, module, and software update, and each new network connection creates potential entry points that weren’t considered in the original design. It is no longer about maintaining machines – companies are now required to maintain digital ecosystems that must remain secure across generations of technological change. TNO is uniquely equipped to leverage novel technologies and explore approaches for lifelong security of legacy systems.

We investigate, prove, design, and demonstrate the system security that your specific business requires. No assumptions, no generic solutions, no unnecessary risks to your operations. Every engagement we initiate is different, because every high-tech stakeholder is different. What unifies our approach is our commitment to building solutions that enhance – rather than constrain – engineering excellence.

What to know more about how TNO can help you engineer trust into tomorrow’s machines? Get in touch today.