Moxa releases MIL3 with IEC 62443-4-2 certified host device
An industrial computer from Moxa, the MIL3 (Moxa Industrial Linux 3) has what is claimed to be the first IEC 62443-4-2 certified host device, the UC-8200 series Arm-based computers.
IEC 62443-4-2 certification ensures that the 40mm thin UC-8200 industrial computers provide a secure Linux platform that integrates a suite of secure-by-design hardware and software features to protect IIoT data and infrastructure against cyberthreats.
“Moxa’s UC-8200 Series, running on the MIL3 platform, is the world’s first host device to attain ISA/IEC 62442-4-2 certification,” said Pascal LeRay, head of cybersecurity at Bureau Veritas (BV), the certification body that issued the ISASecure CSA Security Level 2 certification for the UC-8200 Series.
IEC 62443 universal standards for industrial control and information security have become mandatory technical requirements in many countries, he added. Many customers require proof of security level from manufacturers for their industrial IoT equipment and the IEC 62443-4-2 certified UC-8200 computers makes it easier for asset owners and system integrators to integrate IIoT applications by providing a secure platform that has already been tested and validated, observed George Y Hsiao, product manager of Moxa IPC Business. The certification saves asset owners and system integrators spending time testing and validating the security of the computing platform and its components before integrating their applications. While this process is necessary to ensure the overall security of the IIoT system, it can be time-consuming, Hsiao continued.
The UC-8200 Series computer comes with a security-hardening guide to help maintain the security of the computer throughout its entire lifecycle, from integration and installation to operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. It also includes a security diagnostics utility, which allows customers to confirm that the UC-8200 Series computer remains compliant with IEC 62443-4-2 during the integration stage.
The UC-8200 Series computer incorporates a one-time programmable (OTP) fuse and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 technology to establish a hardware-based chain of trust that safeguards the secure boot process and software updates. This blocks hackers from taking control of the device during boot time and prevents malicious updates from being used for malware exploitation.
Device availability is critical in industrial automation and control systems (IACS). The MIL3 is equipped with quick backup and restore utilities, as well as automated system recovery features based on an overlay file system architecture. This helps to reduce downtime in the event of a security breach, process failure, and file corruption, such as a power outage during a critical update, explained Moxa.
MCM (Moxa Connect Manager) optimises local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) availability by automatically switching between Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and LTE connections. This can minimise downtime caused by network unavailability or DOS attacks.
Moxa provides long-term after-sales support and Debian-based distributions with 10-year life cycles to support UC-8200-equipped systems, including security patches, bug fixes, and access to its Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT), which protects Moxa products from cybersecurity vulnerabilities and effectively mitigate and manage security risks.
Other features include host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) and network security monitoring, optional built-in cellular and additional Mini PCI Express (mPCIe) slot for Wi-Fi modules.
