Industrial companies can improve their security and system performance with the new Allen-Bradley ControlLogix EtherNet/IP communication module from Rockwell Automation, released in March 2019.
The module is among the first EtherNet/IP products on the market to leverage the new ODVA security enhancements, known as CIP Security. CIP Security creates a more robust level of protection in control applications by making sure that information is exchanged between authenticated devices, without interference or theft.
CIP Security uses three key capabilities to provide this advanced level of protection:
- Authentication: limiting communications to only authorized devices
- Integrity: preventing packet tampering or modifications
- Confidentiality: encrypting communications to prevent snooping or unauthorized data disclosure
The module provides CIP Security capabilities to ControlLogix systems. And when combined with the ControlLogix 5580 controller and the Kinetix 5700 drive, it allows a CIP Security zone to be created. A CIP Security zone defines a set of devices that share a common set of security requirements, providing another degree of access control.
In addition to helping strengthen security, the ControlLogix EtherNet/IP communication module can increase performance in networked operations. It has 1-gigabit per second communications speeds and can support future network or infrastructure expansions.
FactoryTalk Policy Manager software and FactoryTalk System Services are used to configure CIP Security. They allow users to tell devices who to trust. And they allow security configurations to be consistently modeled, validated and deployed to all devices, which can reduce the risk of human error.
Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix and FactoryTalk are trademarks of Rockwell Automation Inc.
Published July 22, 2019