The promises [industrial networking]
H. Kagan · Computing & Control Engineering Journal · 2006
Everywhere you turn, the value of wireless technology is being touted as a great cost-saving measure. It is promoted and promised by vendors, and is now actually being implemented by some end-users. The cost of running wire in an industrial environment is outrageous. The real value proposition around wireless can be found in the newly created application solutions for cases where no reasonable answer previously existed. There are process, safety, security, business and IT applications required by every industrial enterprise, which can now be achieved at a very reasonable cost. Many of these solutions have enormous payback to the enterprise. In some cases they contribute directly to the top or bottom line, while in others they help meet government mandated or cost avoidance requirements. With all the associated benefits, why is it that wireless is not being adopted widely in industry? The immediate response from end users is security. This paper examines security related issues in industrial networking.