Digital Technologies in the Industrial Sector : Technology-driven Threats and Opportunities

Abstract

Digitalization is driven by the rapid emergence and adoption of digital technologies. At unprecedented speed, technological advancements are triggering disruptive changes that affect individuals, organizations, and society on a global scale. In the industrial sector, the rise of new digital technologies such as Cyber-physical Production Systems and the Industrial Internet of Things accelerates the transition from traditional production facilities towards so-called smart factories. These self-organizing and self-optimizing production systems enable more flexible and efficient processes to produce higher quality products at reduced cost. With this, the fourth industrial revolution is profoundly influencing the competitiveness of organizations and regions, affecting productivity, economic growth, and working profiles. Despite their growing importance, the nature of digital technologies – in terms of similarities and differences in their characteristics – remains poorly understood. This hampers scientific progress and practical application, while technology driven threats and opportunities remain largely opaque. Against this backdrop, this thesis first elaborates on the fundamental understanding of digital technologies, before applying an industrial perspective in order to focus on Cyber-physical Production Systems as the core technology in smart factories. This understanding builds the foundation for the identification, analysis, and management of IT security threats and ecological opportunities in the industry. This thesis provides two perspectives on the technological foundation of digitalization, developing an in depth understanding of digital technologies, per se, and Cyber physical Production Systems as a specific technology applied in the industrial sector. Based on a sample of real-world technologies, research article1 presents a low-level taxonomy of digital technology characteristics, and high-level archetypes representing technology groups. These classification schemes provide long-lasting insights that are much needed in the fast-moving field of digitalization. Focusing on digital technologies in the industry, research article #2 defines and classifies entities of Cyber physical Production Systems and illustrates their relationships using a terminology, taxonomy, and reference model. Both research articles provide descriptive knowledge of technology, on which further advancements in research and practice can build. Within the industrial sector, the high degree of cross-linking and decentralization of applied digital technologies brings new complexity and increases the vulnerability of systems to IT (security) threats. Focusing on technology-driven threats, research article #3 proposes a taxonomy of attacks on the Industrial Internet of Things. Drawing on an inductively and deductively compiled sample of attacks, the taxonomy enables the classification of both conventional and emergent attacks. The analysis of an attacked steel facility in Germany provides insights on the use of the taxonomy, which…