Functional safety and cybersecurity were once considered two different disciplines. Safety protecting people and systems against hazards caused by malfunction, while cybersecurity was meant to protect systems against malicious attacks. In the present connected world, the two now are inseparable.
Cyberattacks on connected cars, industrial robots, or medical devices can now cause safety failures as efficiently as do physical malfunctions. Thus, regulators and standards bodies now require manufacturers to consider safety and security together.
Why are Safety and Security Converging?
In the modern era, safety-critical systems heavily rely on networked communication. This brings in numerous other vulnerabilities.
An industrial safety system can be compromised if its communication protocol is exploited. Breaking into a connected car may disable braking or steering functions. Medical devices can be manipulated remotely, endangering patient lives. These risks make manufacturers show that functional safety and cybersecurity are managed together.
Standards Driving Convergence
Several standards and regulations today explicitly set the safety-security linkage:
- IEC 61508: Update mechanisms to include cybersecurity considerations into the basic functional safety standard.
- IEC 62443: Defines cybersecurity purposes in industrial automation systems and complements safety standards.
- ISO 26262 + ISO/SAE 21434: Automotive manufacturers must show that their vehicles are both safe and secure.
- EU Machinery Regulation (EU 2023/1230): To be enforced from January 2027, this Regulation considers cybersecurity a compliance requirement for machinery safety.
Challenges for Manufacturers
- Complex Compliance Overlap: Various separate standards must be harmonized, creating integration headaches.
- Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Safety and security threats oftentimes enter via third-party suppliers.
- Continuous Monitoring: With evolving cybersecurity threats, the watch must be kept even after products are released.
How Nemko Helps Manufacturers Align Safety and Security
Nemko understands that safety and security are not optional additions, but an elemental part of global compliance. Nemko assists its clients through:
- Integrated Assessments: To account for various factors that may impose safety or security risks on tested products under various standards.
- Certification for Global Market Access: With certifications from Nemko, accepted in large markets, the path to certification becomes simpler.
- Advisory Services: Assisting clients in establishing processes wherein safety and security are considered from design up to lifecycle management.
- Training and Awareness: To make engineering teams aware of practicing safety-+ security best practices.
Nemko as a Global Regulatory Partner
The position of Nemko on functional safety and cyber security places it at the epicentre of compliance innovation. By contributing to industry discussion and staying ahead of regulatory changes, Nemko guarantees that manufacturers are prepared for new obligations.
This is what makes Nemko a thought leader and trusted partner with companies as they enter new markets or innovate with connect.
The Path Forward
As compliance requirements change, safety and security will become more connected. Manufacturers that tackle them together will not only meet regulatory expectations but also earn customer trust.
With Nemko as a partner, companies can turn compliance challenges into opportunities, showing leadership in innovation, safety, and trust.
