TXOne’s Portable Security Pro works towards improving security in ICS environments

ICS and industrial IoT (IIoT) security vendor TXOne Networks released this week Portable Security 3 Pro Edition (TMPS3 Pro), its portable security device designed to scan for and collect asset info on standalone computers, as well as air-gapped systems. Unlike traditional anti-virus software, Portable Security scans and cleans up malware without installing scanning software, showing status with an easy-to-understand LED display. 

With Portable Security 3 Pro, ICS (industrial control systems) owners and operators can mitigate the risk of insider threat while transferring files and adopting malware scanning and asset info collection for standalone computers and air-gapped systems, TXOne said. In addition to reducing breach and compliance risk, the Portable Security 3 Pro does not require software installation. It also offers centralized management that provides an integrated view of scans occurring across multiple scanning tools and endpoints to meet administrators’ policy needs.

The portable malware scanning tool can be used across multiple ICS or endpoint devices, to launch multiple connected scanning tools on multiple endpoints simultaneously. It comes with built-in notification LEDs that display the status of the malware scan, making operation quick and convenient. 

During the scan, Portable Security 3 also collects asset information, helping to improve operational technology (OT) visibility and eliminate shadow OT, according to TXOne. The Management Program can deploy scanning configuration settings to multiple scanning tools, either remotely or physically. It also compiles and integrates the scan logs and asset information from multiple scanning tools in multiple locations, providing a holistic view of all endpoints.

The Portable Security 3 Pro has been developed together with TXOne’s mother company, Trend Micro, to enable providers of critical infrastructure services to comply with a new range of cybersecurity requirements. Flash drives are commonly used to transfer data in an air-gapped environment, but this creates a risk of insider threat. TMPS3 Pro is a device similar to a USB flash drive that combines malware scanning and removal with secure storage for the first time.

Portable Security 3 Pro can be the first step for operational technology (OT) and ICS supply chain cybersecurity, TXOne said. When new devices are shipped to the factory from the equipment supplier, the inspection can be done in advance through this portable inspection device to ensure and document that the devices are malware-free. Portable Security 3 Pro also enables IT or security teams to securely transfer important files or patches to offline systems and isolated networks.

TMPS3 Pro is also equipped for secure file transfer, allowing end-users to mitigate insider threats to air-gapped and standalone environments by transporting sensitive data with its 64GB of AES-256 hardware-encrypted storage.

“Portable Security 3 Pro makes it much easier for ICS owners and operators to scan for malware and collect asset info on standalone computers as well as air-gapped systems,” Dr. Terence Liu, CEO of TXOne Networks, said in a company statement. “Unlike traditional anti-virus software, Portable Security scans and cleans up malware without installing scanning software, showing status with an easy-to-understand LED display,” he added.

Earlier this week, Yokogawa Electric announced that it will release Collaborative Information Server (CI Server) R1.02 in March this year. The new version of CI Server, a product in the OpreX Control and Safety System family, will have the ability to be delivered on Yokogawa Cloud, the company’s industrial transformation and IoT platform that accelerates the development and deployment of industrial cloud applications. 

The key market targets for the CI Server would be organizations involved in oil and gas upstream, midstream gas and liquid pipelines, petrochemicals, chemicals, renewable energy, power, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, food, mining, iron and steel, water distribution, and wastewater treatment.

The use of CI Server together with Yokogawa Cloud will provide a high-security environment that delivers lower cost project implementation and swift project launch eliminating the need for design and configuration work necessary for hardware setup, and speeds up project development. It also reduces the need for cloud environment-related maintenance. In addition, the provision of operating system updates, anti-virus software management, and security monitoring services help customers improve the safety and efficiency of their operations.

Anna Ribeiro

Industrial Cyber News Editor. Anna Ribeiro is a freelance journalist with over 14 years of experience in the areas of security, data storage, virtualization and IoT.