FrieslandCampina is standardizing automation across its production facilities worldwide to strengthen cybersecurity. To build resilience against cyberattacks, the group is shifting from reactive maintenance to proactive management of its OT networks.
“To take the next step towards industrial maturity and becoming a data-driven manufacturing company, we need to integrate our OT and IT landscape.
“As a hardware, network topology and consultancy partner, Siemens plays an essential role. We already have a long relationship with each other, and many of our production facilities run on their equipment."
— Mark Schut, FrieslandCampina business group OT-manager
Smart technology helps factories tackle the demanding challenge of managing thousands of OT components, reducing complexity while strengthening asset oversight and control.
An important aspect of the standardization process is increasing the resilience to cyberthreats. This industry-wide issue comes with unavoidable challenges.
The Siemens-developed architecture gives production employees and technical partners secure and easy access to the OT systems.
In 2023, FrieslandCampina set up a Global OT department which now employs around 25 people. Based in the Netherlands, the department coordinates the standardization of automation and security across all production facilities worldwide. Last autumn, it organized a global OT event in both Europe and Asia. All “technical consciences” of the production facilities, with a sense of responsibility for efficient, safe production, came together to share their knowledge, experience and vision.
In the Netherlands, legislation is not yet on board with resilience and updating and patching are less common than in IT environments.
“To take the next step towards industrial maturity and becoming a data-driven manufacturing company, we need to integrate our OT and IT landscape. In doing so, however, doors are opened that may lead to security risks. How to unite these two separate entities in a world that is also highly competitive? Cybersecurity costs money and doesn't deliver immediate returns, but failing to invest in it could prove to be false economy. Our top priority is that our production facilities do not become the intended or unintended victims of a cyberattack,” says Schut.
FrieslandCampina has close internal and external working relationships.
“We have around 50 production facilities where milk is processed and we don't want to keep reinventing the wheel for each of them. That is why we are rolling out a standard for cybersecurity,” says manager of innovation within Global OT and stakeholder Maurice Bongers. “We are involving all technical colleagues in this in order to maintain awareness and ensure that nothing happens that could lead to unplanned downtime. Together with our suppliers and local OT department we are taking major steps forward.”
According to innovation manager and digital business professional Ruud Welschen, the architecture developed by Siemens has allowed cybersecure OT networks to be set up without making too many concessions on productivity. FrieslandCampina is implementing the logic behind this architecture in all of its production facilities. “Managers have an insight into what is happening on the shop floor and, based on performance, energy usage and other data, are able to optimize operations,” says Welschen.
With the help of the Siemens architecture and a solution to continuously monitor OT for deviations, FrieslandCampina is making the transition from reactive maintenance to proactive management of its production environments. "Managing the thousands of OT components found in an average production facility is complex and energy-intensive," says Schut. "Smart technology helps us do this and provides us with more control over our assets. Cybersecurity is an ongoing process that demands our constant attention. You can have a great camera monitoring system, but what good is it if you don't fix the holes in your fence?”
FrieslandCampina's suppliers are also vital in ensuring cybersecurity. “Cybersecurity cannot be a solo effort. It is the responsibility of the entire chain, which is only ever as strong as its weakest link,” says Schut. “That is why we also make it part of our contracts with chain partners. This allows us to continuously improve and constantly advance.”
“The Siemens-developed architecture gives production employees and technical partners secure access to the OT systems — anytime, anywhere.”