- Agreement with CISCO for cooperating AI-based industrial control system security solution business
- Joint service development by mounting the security solution of POCSO ICT in CISCO’s network equipment
- Amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution, every equipment is connected with each other, making it a collective potential risk of every equipment going down at the same time if someone invades the system
 
POSCO ICT (President: Son Geon-Jae) has joined hands with CISCO Systems to improve the security of industrial control system which is essential for the operation of important industrial sites and the infrastructure of the nation.

The two companies signed an agreement on March 13 at the Pangyo company building of POSCO ICT to actively cooperate in the security business for industrial control system. President Son Geon-Jae of POSCO ICT, President Cho Beom-Gu of CISCO Systems Korea, and many officials of the two companies participated in the signing ceremony. The Industrial Control System (ICS) is a pivotal system used to control the key infrastructure of the nation such as power generation, communication and transportation, and major industrial sites including semiconductor factories and steel mills.

Security experts are emphasizing the importance of security in industrial control system as the risk of system failure has increased due to the connection of all equipment at major national facilities and industrial sites through networks. This is brought about by the expansion of the 4th industrial revolution. Reflecting such a trend, ‘Markets and Markets,’ a US market research institution, predicted that the global security market in industrial control system will grow to KRW 13.8 trillion in 2021 from KRW 1 trillion in 2016. 
 
Through the cooperation agreement, the AI-base industrial control system security solution developed by POSCO ICT for the first time in Korea will be mounted in CISCO’s network equipment for a joint business. It is expected that the joint business will make considerable synergy effect because CISCO is the No. 1 company in the provision of network equipment comprising industrial control system.

The two companies will first mount the security solution of POSCO ICT in CISCO’s high-performance network switch to provide industrial sites with high-performance network switch products. The security solution of POSCO ICT can learn the pattern of ordinary control command using machine learning to give a warning to the manager immediately if an abnormal command is issued. 

A new full package type security solution will soon be developed by combining the security solution functions of the two companies: the solution of POCO ICT detecting abnormal control command and CISCO’s solution function which can detect unusual movements by analyzing the traffic of the control network. 

A spokesperson for POSCO ICT said, “The company developed security solutions using AI to reflect the characteristics of various industrial facilities when the security in industrial control system keeps increasing. We expect to be able to reinforce the business foundation in the area of security in industrial control system by combining the capabilities of the two companies on the basis of the cooperation agreement.” 

The person in charge of public relations at CISCO stated, “We will be able to protect industries in Korea through the reinforcement of security at manufacturing sites by combining the AI-based security solution of POSCO ICT with the network, server, and superior technology in security area of CISCO, a top-tier company in the network and security market.”