Cybersecurity: Siemens’ Commitment

Digital transformation is at the heart of the challenge of growth and industrial development. Operational technologies (OT) and traditional information systems (IT) are increasingly interconnected. The risks of piracy on industrial systems and connected objects represent for Siemens and for all our customers a major threat that requires a concerted and collective approach. In this context, cybersecurity is a top priority.

Siemens has made huge investments in cybersecurity in the past decade. Today we rely on a global workforce of 1,500 people. Every day, we apply cybersecurity principles to all our services and products. In 2016, in France, Siemens was the first industrial systems supplier to obtain from ANSSI a safety certification and a safety qualification for its range of industrial controllers. In 2019, Siemens won the continued qualification for this same range – another first.

As a global group, we believe we have a responsibility to help SMEs and intermediate-sized enterprises (or ETIs), which are less well equipped in the face of cyber threats. , Therefore, in 2018, we published a Charter of Trust and Good Conduct that details basic requirements and implementation proposals so that cybersecurity becomes an area of absolute trust in all digital supply chains. Almost 2 years after its publication, the Charter of Trust has 16 signatories, among which Airbus, Atos and Total.

In France, the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace corresponds to a clear commitment to stability in cyberspace. It confirms the will to work together to define and implement international cybersecurity principles. Basically, the Paris Call shares essential elements with the principles of the Charter of Trust, which has set itself ambitious objectives. In addition to deepening and expanding political dialogue, members are working to advance the two topics of « Cybersecurity by Default » and « Education » by embedding predictive cybersecurity metrics in products and other environments and by increasing training efforts.

Being part of the industry of the future means inventing new uses, new products and new production methods to conquer new markets. Digital transformation is a major internationalisation lever for ETIs. Training is an essential component to which we devote a lot of effort – particularly for SMEs and ETIs – through our SITRAIN training centre. This is also why Siemens France has chosen to support the FIC’s ‘Strategy Challenge’ dedicated to strategic thinking on the theme of collective security in cyberspace. The 2020 edition promises to be very exciting, so I invite you to join the audience. I wish all the teams a very good competition. May the best team win!

Nicolas Petrovic

CEO of Siemens France & Belgium