Is Anybody Home?

Nancy Bartels here. Somebody just asked me, "What's up with SoundOff!? How come nobody's been posting this week?"  Well, as regular readers know, Walt Boyes does most of the heavy lifting here at SO!, and this week, he's been in Cologne, Germany, giving a speech at the TUV meeting there. For a transcript of his remarks, click here.

Upon his return, we locked his office and took away his keys so that he would take a well-earned vacation, so no Walt next week either.

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Assuring Cyber Security for Industrial Control Systems

I was asked by CSIS, the Center for Strategic and International Studies to prepare a white paper for them as part of their charter to produce recommendations for the non-partisan Blue Ribbon Commission on Cyber Security to present to the next administration, regardless of who wins the November election in the United States.

The white paper, with permission of CSIS, is posted here.

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NIST & end users must bring STEP & OPEN O&M together

Hello All. Sorry for long gap. Today I want to discuss ISO 10303, the standard for the exchange of product (STEP) model data, and how ISO and the OPEN Operations and Maintenance (Open O&M) are not working together, but must do so.

Here is the situation that I see, knowing that I only have a spectator's view. ISO 10303 has been used in the product design organizations for discrete manufacturing for 15 years (A&D, automotive, industrial equipement, plant building design, some electronics). The st...

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If They Can, Why Haven’t They?

It’s the Time Between When the Vulnerability Is Found and When It Is Both Fixed by the Vendor and Installed By the End User That Is Scary More...

It’s Still Not Easy in the Middle

To Understand the Integration Challenge, One Needs to Be Well-Versed in Both Process Plant Automation and Corporate Computing Systems More...

Readiness: The New Project Deliverable?

The Commitment to Ensure Operational and Business Readiness Far Surpasses Traditional MAC Relationships More...

Controlling the Post-Oil Energy Economy

The World’s First Solar-Hydrogen Demonstration Power Plant More...

Oneness

Is There a Metaphysical Aspect to “Oneness?” More...

How Green IT Is

With the Right Tools and Connectivity of OPC, IT Managers Can Determine Just How Green IT Is More...

Good Talk

Invite Folks from Other Departments or Organizations In for an Informal Lunch-and-Learn Tour or Some Speed-Dating-Style Tabletop Displays More...

CG’s Local Heroes

Normal Everyday Professionals are Also Stars. Our Process Automation Writers Have Fans Following Each and Every Word They Type More...

Will Wireless Replace Fieldbus?

Hardwired Instruments Are Going to Be Around Until a Generation of Plant Operators Retires More...