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New series provides flexible, functional industrial network security

To mark the introduction of a new decade (hopefully not with a bang!) where they hope that industrial network security will be widely adopted, Byres Security are starting off 2010 with the introduction of a new line of Tofino products, the Tofino Argon Product Series.

This is a suite of five rugged Plug-n-Protect™ security appliances with varying connectivity, temperature and power supply capabilities, as well as a selection of firmware modules that customize the functionality of each appliance. The result is a practical and effective cyber security system that is uniquely suitable for protecting industrial facilities with a variety of SCADA, process control and networking systems.

The release of these new products lets companies select the exact mix of security features, fibre/twisted-pair network support and environmental hardening their plants need in a security solution. For example, detailed filtering of Modbus TCP messages over fiber optic cable (by combining the Tofino Argon Modbus Enforcer LSM with the Tofino 220 MM/MM appliance) might be ideal for securing an onsite tank farm, while secure remote maintenance support over a DSL modem would take advantage of the Tofino Argon VPN LSM and the Tofino 220 TX/TX appliance combination.

“The mix and match strategy of the Tofino Argon Product Series is about making control systems simpler and more secure” remarked Eric Byres, a leading global industrial security expert and the Chief Technology Officer of Byres Security Inc. “Complex IT firewalls include convoluted features that you don’t need and don’t use – they are an invitation to configuration errors and ultimately a big security risk. Tofino is designed with the needs of industry in mind, letting you purchase just the features you need to secure your control system.”

The Tofino Argon Product Series is part of the Tofino Industrial Security Solution, which includes Tofino technology that is sold by Belden / Hirschmann, Honeywell and MTL Instruments. All Tofino products are simple to implement and do not require shutdowns to deploy, providing increased safety, network security and performance of control systems.