LITTLETON, Mass. and TRAVERSE CITY, Mic, Feb. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Privacy and information security research firm, Ponemon Institute, announces the release of “ 2019 Safety, Security & Privacy in the Interconnected World of IT, OT and IIoT study ” in partnership with TUV Rheinland OpenSky. The purpose of this study is to understand the concerns that organizations have for functional safety, cybersecurity and data privacy when there is a convergence of IT, operational technology (OT) and industrial internet of things (IIoT). This first-of-its-kind study, examines how users perceive issues related to managing the triage of cybersecurity, safety and privacy.

“The maturity and security posture of companies will increasingly depend upon the successful convergence of IT and OT control systems,” said Dr. Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder, Ponemon Institute. “Our study is unique in demonstrating the importance of the consolidation and integration of cybersecurity, functional safety and data privacy functions within IT and OT control systems."

Digitalization around the areas of traditional manufacturing automation systems will continue to gain momentum; therefore the convergence of IT and operational technologies will be a strong point of discussion within enterprises, bringing into focus new platforms and business services that will potentially integrate different areas, from enterprise data at the corporate level, through to field and process-level automation. These platforms will be highly desirable in the pursuit of digitalization, as they would offer better designs, visualizations, ergonomics, and convenience of accessibility. But these platforms bring the challenge of managing privacy while increasing the surface area of exposure to cyber threats – and at the same time maintaining a similar or higher level of safety and reliability around the operations of these interconnected systems.

“Improving overall cybersecurity maturity will play a deterministic role in the success of a digitalization roadmap where the focus is to improve digital services in a complex and interconnected ecosystem. This is an area of focus for us at TUV Rheinland OpenSky and we were pleased to see that the outcome of the study reflects a similar prevalent opinion of cybersecurity practitioners across North America,” stated Urmez Daver, Global Head, Industrial Security at TÜV Rheinland.

The research is an objective study that captures the perceptions and beliefs of respondents, and may not reflect all the concerns that organizations face to manage security, privacy and safety in a world of interconnected systems. This report examines the following four key areas:

  • Achieving effective management of the convergence process
  • Overcoming challenges to a successful convergence process
  • The relationship between cybersecurity and business objectives
  • The convergence of IT, OT and IIoT

Link to download the report: https://www.tuvopensky.com/resources/news/ins...-and-iiot/

About Ponemon Institute Ponemon Institute© is dedicated to advancing responsible information and privacy management practices in business and government. To achieve this objective, the Institute conducts independent research, educates leaders from the private and public sectors and verifies the privacy and data protection practices of organizations in a variety of industries.

For more information, please contact: Susan Jayson; susan@ponemon.org 231-357-1732

About TUV Rheinland OpenSky TUV Rheinland OpenSky offers one of the most advanced and integrated portfolios of security solutions and services for connected devices, platforms and Internet of Things (IoT), with the mission to enable secure and safe digital solutions. We provide advisory, consulting, systems integration, testing, certification and managed security services for connected platforms in three core disciplines: Advanced Cyber Defense; Mastering Risk and Compliance and Secure Cloud Enablement. Our experts help clients protect information assets, minimize risk and accelerate the adoption of enabling technologies by taking a holistic risk-based approach that addresses Cybersecurity, Privacy, Cloud Infrastructure and Functional Safety requirements to build trusted, connected platforms.     

With headquarters in Littleton, MA, TUV Rheinland OpenSky is a subsidiary of TÜV Rheinland Group, which operates some of the world’s broadest smart device and IoT testing labs, defining industry standards for functional safety and security, and a leading provider of inspection and assurance services that combine safety, quality and security certifications. For more information on TUV Rheinland OpenSky please visit http://www.tuvopensky.com

About TÜV Rheinland TÜV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services and currently the largest independent service provider that combines ICT competency with comprehensive expertise regarding the industry, and whose core business has been to provide technical safety and security to people and the environment around the world for more than 140 years. The group maintains a worldwide presence with 19,600 employees; annual turnover is nearly EUR 1.9 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all aspects of life. TÜV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects and helps to shape processes for companies. For more than 15 years, TÜV Rheinland has been supporting the private and public sector with comprehensive consulting and solution expertise in IT, cyber security and telecommunications through digital transformation processes. For more information on TUV Rheinland OpenSky please visit http://www.tuv.com

For more information, please contact: Jen Picardo, Director of Communications, TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc. 978-266-9500