Securing the future of Digital Manufacturing in FMCG and F&B sectors

#IoT #CyberSecurity #OT #IT #FMCG

Team Pro MFG Media

In order to explore the challenges faced in the operation and maintenance of critical equipment, current status of digitalization, and Data management and Data Security, Pro MFG media organized a virtual event -Manufacturing Leadership Roundtable “Securing the future of Digital Manufacturing- Cyber Security considerations for FMCG and F&B sector”. The event was presented by Tenable Network Security.

Pro MFG Media’s Manufacturing Leadership Roundtable presented by Tenable on "Securing the future of Digital Manufacturing- Cyber Security considerations for FMCG and F&B sector, for the FMCG/F&B sector was held on 21st January, 2021 through a virtual platform. Modern-day, manufacturing relies on automation and operations technologies (OT). Although the newest advances in OT have yielded impressive results both in terms of efficiency and cost savings, the risks still prevail.

This event witnessed eminent personalities from the industry and the panel was moderated by Mr. Murali Rao, Partner, Cyber Consulting India, EY India. The Manufacturing Leadership Roundtable saw the presence of esteemed organizations such as Emami India, Olam International, Reckitt Benckiser, MTR Foods, Carlsberg, Marico India and Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. The session discussed the latest technologies employed for maintenance, automation along with the security challenges faced by the organizations.

The session addressed the following key points:

  • ● The security issues FMCG/F&B Manufacturing facilities face.
  • ● 5 key ways to help secure your environment so that smart manufacturing can also be safe manufacturing.
  • ● Challenges faced in the operation and maintenance of critical equipment.
  • ● What is the current status of digitalization in your plant, the challenges faced and your future plans?
  • ● What are your plans for upskilling your employees and skill set required for OT transformation?
  • ● The supply chain integration within processes and between suppliers.
  • ● Data management and Data Security.
  • ● Difficulty in managing OT environments due to inherent complexities.
  • ● Skill Set required for training professionals during the process of OT transformation.

The speakers on the panel precisely covered the topics meticulously and exchanged numerous practices followed by the respective organization to overcome the challenge of cybersecurity.

The Manufacturing Leadership Roundtable 2021 addressed critical issues on cybersecurity and concluded with several valuable insights shared by the dignified personalities from the automobile industry.

Commencing the roundtable conference, Mr. Richard Bussiere, Technical Director, Network Security, Tenable , stated that, “From a reliability, safety, and availability perspective, is to perform an analysis of your cybersecurity state and on a continuous basis, which means that you are more or less mopping into these more enlightened maintenance regimens that exist.”

While discussing the implementation of automation, Mr. Murali Mohan - Operations Head, Olam India, stated that, “In the age of automation, it is crucial to protect the machines as they are operated by AI. We have implemented strong measures for data protection and access controls.”

As the conference proceeded, Mr. Vadivel Ravi, Head- Brewery, Carlsberg India, mentioned that, “We have implemented stringent policies with respect to cybersecurity & data protection in the organization and provide a thorough training to the employees on the same.”

Citing from his own experiences, Mr. Naveen Raina - Ex - Head Technical - External Manufacturing Operations, South Asia Reckitt Benckiser India Limited, emphasised, “One can find more IT on the production floor today compared to the past. A cross – functional team of IT & OT will definitely help the manufacturing sector to be future ready.”

Furthermore, on the discussion, Mr. Sandesh Borwankar, Cluster Head Manufacturing, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, added, “With ever changing consumer demands, business continuity is a prime factor and with automation it’s imperative to ensure data security and have systems and process in place.

Mr. Sarvesh Kulkarni, Production & SCM Head, Marico Limited, added to the session that,“Marico is focusing on developing in-house customized automation, which provides maximum control over data protection, thus ensuring smooth operations.”

The session was concluded by insights from moderator,Mr. Murali Rao, Partner, Cyber Consulting India, EY India, stating, “You can only protect data what you know, your asset inventory becomes an absolute critical part, plant maintenance and manufacturing processes.”

MORE FROM THE SECTION