Back to the future: Cybernetics for safety, quality and cybersecurity

Abstract

There is a lack of a holistic framework that ensures Industry 4.0 systems include Internet of Things (IoT) devices and computer systems designed to be fail-safe during cyberattacks. The silo view of treating industrial risk, Information Technology (IT) risk, and software quality as separate fields are leading to exploitable and hackable systems as documented by recent events. A stable system requires the collaboration and integration of engineering experts in quality, software design, reliability along with quality managers and auditors to focus on the intersection of technology and safety/reliability. The field of Cybernetics was originally created as an interdisciplinary field to understand and control complex systems. A multi-faceted and cross-disciplinary approach will be required to design fail-safe systems that can withstand cyberattacks in Industry 4.0. Integrating roles and responsibilities cannot succeed without a similarly aligned cross-functional approach, including a RAIC framework.