Metso software and cyber security

Cyber security

Recognising that production control systems in the utility, manufacturing and petrochemical industries have special requirements not found in the typical corporate IT environment, Metso employs the latest security solutions to counteract emerging threats and avoid disrupted production. As well as ensuring system availability and reliability, production from Metso can cover critical infrastructure in which safety risks and the threat of environmental non-compliance go far beyond potential monetary losses.

Metso’s security business solution includes regular assessments of the security of installations with security audits to identify and help eliminate security vulnerabilities. Key risk mitigation techniques, including firewalls and virtual private networks, are supplemented with virus protection software custom configured to the automation system.

Metso security follow up provides security updates, including antivirus software, virus definitions and critical security patches, to ensure the highest level of protection. A back up system service facilitates during a quick recovery from a security breach or related problem. The service can include providing and maintaining spare PC based systems and storing a variety of essential data as needed. Metso also has the experience in virtualised server applications to take automation system reliability to a totally new level of performance.

Model predictive control monitoring

Metso’s ExperTune PlantTriage software now includes a model predictive control monitoring capability. The new software performs continuous assessments of the performance of model predictive controls (MPC). These assessments are used to diagnose issues with disturbance variables, controlled variables, manipulated variables and the MPC controller itself. There are over 100 assessments of performance, which allows a high degree of specificity in the recommended corrective actions. Some of the new metrics include: effective controller on time, controller health, time at constraints, model prediction error and oscillation detection.

In addition to a detailed assessment of MPC performance, Version 12 now presents the results in a new, more user friendly browser interface. In response to client requests, the new interface is completely integrated with Metso ExperTune PlantTriage’s traditional monitoring of underlying regulatory control loops, allowing users to drill down directly from MPC monitoring to find root causes that may lie outside the MPC structure itself.

Adapted from press releases by Claira Lloyd

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/product-news/05062014/metso_software_cyber_security_products/