Hilscher at SPS 2024: “Gigabit will never work without security”

Nuremberg, 13. Nov. 2024 – New and powerful gigabit technologies that enable faster data transmission than conventional 100Mbit industrial Ethernet will not come onto the market without cyber security mechanisms. This was predicted by Hilscher Gesellschaft für Systemautomation mbH at the Smart Production Solutions (SPS) 2024 automation trade fair in Nuremberg.

“IT and OT are moving closer and closer together and are already more networked than ever,” says Christian Tepper, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Hilscher at SPS 2024. “This development will continue to accelerate over the next few years.” However, this will not only bring advantages. Greater networking of IT and OT is always synonymous with an increasing number of potential attack vectors, i.e. gateways for hackers, according to the Hilscher expert. Security requirements are increasing at the same rate as bandwidth requirements.

“Gigabit will therefore never work without security. With our new chip generation, we are taking account of these increased requirements, many of which will only arise in the future,” explains Hilscher CMO Tepper. Hilscher already presented its new gigabit-capable netX 900 chip generation last year. With the new network controllers, Hilscher promises to deliver more than just a chip: netX 900 comprises a complete ecosystem for developing future-proof and cyber-secure industrial communication solutions. The specialist for industrial automation solutions from Hattersheim am Main can already draw on a wealth of experience.

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netX: The platform for fieldbuses, Industrial Ethernet and IIoT

With its netX technology, Hilscher has been offering a flexible and multiprotocol-capable communication platform for fieldbuses, Industrial Ethernet and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for over 30 years. Hilscher's best-known products include the netX 90, the smallest multiprotocol-capable device controller on the market. As with all other netX SoCs (system-on-chip), the communication protocol to be mapped can be changed quickly and with comparatively little effort by simply changing the firmware.

In addition to the sole SoCs, which can be integrated directly into devices, Hilscher's netX technology is also implemented in various assemblies that are used by machine builders, device manufacturers and system operators worldwide. These include, among others:

The Hattersheim-based automation specialist follows a special approach for all netX-based products: everything from a single source. This means that Hilscher not only supplies its customers with hardware in the form of chips or components, but also compatible and certifiable software stacks for numerous industrial communication protocols as well as configuration and development tools including services. Familiarization with the technology is only necessary once. As a result, development is faster, the choice of communication solutions is manifold and products are ultimately on the market in less time - a decisive advantage, especially with regard to safety-relevant aspects.

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netX 900: Hilscher in the gigabit age

With the new network processors from the netX 900 family, Hilscher extends the capabilities of the netX 100 and netX 90 SoCs by offering the broadest, deepest and most comprehensive multi-protocol support for past, present and future gigabit-capable secure industrial networks. This will bring netX technology into the gigabit era and extend it to cyber-secure and controller-enabled applications. These new gigabit-capable network controllers already contain security features that are required for device certification in accordance with IEC 62443, for example.
Further details on the security features included in the new chip generation were also revealed at the press conference. These include, among others:

  • Separate security processing on-chip
  • Access management on all interfaces and internal bus connections
  • Extended key and certificate handling
  • Life cycle management
  • Advanced secure boot
  • Secure and signed updating and debugging
Hilscher – empowering communication

We are currently in a very exciting time, as we are experiencing the beginnings of a new generation of communication technology in the market - comparable to the first 100 Mbit protocols more than 20 years ago. And we all know how much these have changed the automation landscape to date and will continue to do so for many years to come. However, the topic of cyber security will take on an even more central and trend-setting position with gigabit, that is for sure.

Christian Tepper

Chief Marketing Officer
Hilscher

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Early adopter program in second half of 2025

The convergence of IT and OT did not just begin with the emergence of gigabit technologies. “The big steps that the industry is currently taking in terms of digitalization are proof that 100Mbit bandwidths are still sufficient for most use cases. We therefore believe that even in five years' time, more 100 Mbit devices will be developed than Gbit devices due to cost and power supply advantages,” predicts Tepper.

Hilscher is therefore entering the market with gigabit technology at exactly the right time, as the corresponding specifications are still under development. “We can react flexibly to changes in these fundamental specifications and tailor our technology perfectly to our customers and their use cases,” says Tepper. Other providers who do not have such comprehensive access to basic technologies would face massive problems in the gigabit age of the industry, especially with regard to security. Hilscher is therefore launching an early adopter program for the new netX generation in the second half of 2025.

 

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Frank Behnke
Head of Product and Information Security / Product & Cyber Security

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