Yokogawa Electric Corporation has obtained ISASecure CSA Level 1 certification from the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) for its Centum VP integrated production control system, a product in the OpreX Control and Safety System family.

With this certification, Yokogawa’s Centum VP integrated production control system and ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system now both conform to the latest international security standards. In addition, the company has developed an enhanced version of ProSafe-RS Lite that meets both explosion protection and marine standards, and an updated version of the Plant Resource Manager (PRM) software that supports this latest version of the ProSafe-RS Lite.

Due in part to factors such as the increased reliance on remote system access during the COVID-19 pandemic, cyberattacks on production facilities are on the rise worldwide and are growing ever more sophisticated, and this is driving a rising awareness of the need for compliance with international standards.

Components that receive ISASecure CSA certification conform to the IEC62443-4-1 and IEC62443-4-2 international standards pertaining to security for industrial automation and control systems. The ProSafe-RS safety instrumented system, which conforms to safety integrity level SIL3, and the ProSafe-RS Lite, which meets SIL2 standards, obtained ISA Secure CSA Level 1 certification in May and July 2021, respectively.

For Centum VP to qualify for ISASecure CSA Level 1 certification, a cyclic redundancy check function has been added that periodically diagnoses the integrity of the programs and databases on a plant’s field control stations. If an error is detected, a system alarm is issued. Upgrading to the latest Centum VP R6.09 also enables operators to access Collaborative Information Server screens from their human interface stations, thus enabling the acquisition in real time of data on the operational status of equipment and devices.

In line with efforts to enhance safety, ProSafe-RSR4.07 has been developed, as a result of which ProSafe-RS Lite now meets both explosion-protection standards (ATEX/IECEx/ECAS-Ex) and marine standards. This means that this SIL2 system can be installed in plants and facilities where there is a risk of explosions, and on LNG carriers and other vessels. By using it together with the SIL3-certified ProSafe-RS, which also meets both sets of standards, it is possible to optimize the cost of plant safety instrumentation based on the application. In addition, PRMR4.05has been developed to support devices that are connected to ProSafe-RS Lite. PRM uses IT to detect signs of impending equipment malfunctions so that operators can be notified and take pre-emptive action, thus reducing the risk of failures.

With the development of highly secure and safe devices and systems, and the provision of support for their operation, Yokogawa is able to offer a wide range of control system solutions. The certification and functional enhancement of these solutions will contribute to safe and robust plant operations in many industries.

Developed by the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI), the ISASecure CSA certification program focuses on the security of embedded devices and related components (software applications, host devices, and network devices). The ISCI's members come mainly from the International Society of Automation, and the principal activity of this organization is the promotion of security certification for industrial control systems and control devices.

The ISASecure CSA certification program was launched in August 2019, replacing the ISASecure EDSA certification program. It complies with the International Electrotechnical Commission's IEC 62443-4-2 and IEC 62443-4-1 international standards for security in industrial automation and control systems. - TradeArabia News Service