In a method for the encryption communication in a process plant, one or more keys for coding of electronic signals regarding the process plant, such as actuation signals, measurement signals, state signals, warning signals or such, are provided. The one or more keys are transmitted as acoustic signal via a ductwork guiding plant fluid, particularly a process fluid or an auxiliary fluid, from the first communication partner to the second communication partner. The process plant can be a chemical plant, a power plant, or a food-processing plant. The communication can be between a first and a second communication partner, which can include at least one field device, such as an actuator for adjusting a process fluid and/or a control electronics for supervising, controlling and/or regulating processes of the process plant.

A method for conducting a bioprocess with a digital control unit of a bioprocess arrangement, wherein the digital control unit comprises a local data storage and a local processor unit, wherein the digital control unit comprises a bioprocess interface for sending and receiving bioprocess control data, wherein bioprocess data are generated by the digital control unit, wherein a bioprocess control routine is executed by the local processor unit to control the bioprocess, wherein in the bioprocess control routine, the bioprocess data are generated by the digital control unit from actuator data and/or sensor data and/or user control command data. It is proposed that a signing routine is initiated by the local processor unit in the data safety routine to be executed by an external signing unit(s).

A client-server architecture for a control system of a technical installation, wherein the client-server architecture includes at least one first device formed as a client and at least one second device that formed as a server assigned to the client, where the client is configured to establish contact with the server, and is configured to execute a code received from the server, communication from the client to the control system exists via the server which is configured to detect whether the code, which the client executes, corresponds to the code that the client received from the server, and where the server, in the event of the code not corresponding, is further configured to interrupt the execution of the code by the client and lock the client out of communication with the control system.

An example method to obtain process data associated with a process control system received from a field device includes identifying, at a computing device, associated data and a payload included in the data packet, the associated data including a source bit, determining, at the computing device, a type of connection between the field device and the computing device based on the source bit, determining, at the computing device, an encryption key identifier and an initialization vector based on an auxiliary data packet received prior to the data packet, generating, at the computing device, a nonce value based on the source bit and the initialization vector, the nonce value indicative of an input to a data encryption algorithm used by the field device to encrypt the payload, and extracting, at the computing device, the process data associated with the process control system from the payload.

The disclosure relates to a method for operating a field device used in process automation technology, wherein the field device has an NFC/RFID transponder, wherein an operating unit comprises an operating system which has an executable operating program, in particular application software, wherein the operating unit has an NFC/RFID reader. The method is characterized in that the NFC/RFID transponder comprises a memory which has data which, when read out using the NFC/RFID reader, triggers the calling up of the operating program in the operating unit.

According to the present invention, an information processing apparatus comprises a first controller that executes a first program code; a second controller that executes a second program code different from the first program code, and communication with the first controller; a storage device that stores the first program code to be executed by the first controller and the second program code to be executed by the second controller; and a verifier that verifies, before the first controller and the second controller execute respective program codes, the respective program codes, stored in the storage device.

A communication system, comprising a plurality of industrial machines configured to perform synchronous communication, wherein each of the plurality of industrial machines configured to: encrypt transmission data; transmit the encrypted transmission data to another industrial machine; receive encrypted reception data from the another industrial machine; and decrypt the encrypted reception data.

A highly versatile process control or factory automation field device is configured with an interface and communication connection structure and security features that enable the field device to operate as a data server that communicates with and supports multiple different applications or clients, either directly or indirectly, while simultaneously performing standard process and factory automation control functions in a highly secure manner. The security features include a root of trust component, a secure boot component, secure memory components, secure communication components, security audit components, secure provisioning components and endpoint identity components, making the field device communications and operations secure and trustworthy. Moreover, various different process control and factory automation network architectures and, in particular, communication architectures, support the versatile field device to enable the versatile field device to simultaneously communicate with multiple different client devices or applications (each associated with a different system) via a common communication network infrastructure in a very secure manner, using the same or different communication protocols.

A method and system for blockchain based monitoring and management of industrial automation systems are provided. The industrial automation systems comprise a blockchain-based common runtime for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in the industrial automation systems, in the form of a blockchain-integrated unikernel for PLCs. The unikernel is configured to provide functionalities related to security checks available in blockchain technology, an immutable audit trail of the operations within the industrial automation system, trusted, remote updates of industrial firmware by authenticating the updates through the blockchain, and automated integrity checks of controller functionality by comparing against the blockchain, among others.

A communication system, comprising a plurality of industrial machines configured to perform synchronous communication, wherein each of the plurality of industrial machines configured to: encrypt transmission data; transmit the encrypted transmission data to another industrial machine; receive encrypted reception data from the another industrial machine; and decrypt the encrypted reception data.