By Douglas Farmer

Cybersecurity is a buzzword in many business sectors, and the machine vision industry is no exception. Employers regularly train employees on how to keep their email and internal data storage free of malware and hackers. However, this vigilance does not always extend to the manufacturing floor, where vision and inspection systems — many of which include cameras connected to a network — are often run on outdated software without regular updates.

As automation company phil-vision GmbH pointed out in a recent blog article, customer-specific machine vision software often has weaknesses due to undefined security parameters, making it difficult to monitor the system at all entry points. Moreover, as quality control becomes more precise, any alteration of the inspection process — such as manipulation of an image source — could have profound effects on not only the end product but also on the company’s reputation.

Business and political leaders in Europe are advising companies and systems integrators to perform their own software audits. They are also urging those in industry to separate sensitive systems and to build (and maintain) a schedule for upgrades and the phasing out of certain products.

The European Union (EU) adopted the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) at the end of last year, with full implementation set for 2027. The act encompasses any hardware or software sold in the European market that is connected to a network, including remote processing software and components. The parameters of the CRA include, among other steps, the automatic encryption of transmitted data within these systems. Manufacturers will be held responsible by the EU for cybersecurity throughout the planning, design, development, and maintenance phases. Companies will be required to inform consumers of any cybersecurity updates or identified risks.

The CRA dictates that a single set of standards be applied for cybersecurity throughout the EU and that compliance be reviewed by a locally established authority, ostensibly a third-party expert not connected to manufacturers of digital elements. To ensure compliance, fines could be levied; conversely, products that meet the standard will receive a “Conformité Européenne” or “CE” marking.

The EU machine vision community has the potential to serve as a beacon for industry worldwide as cybersecurity threats persist into the future.

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