Industrial giant Honeywell said on Thursday that it will establish a new industrial cyber security center of excellence (COE) for Asia Pacific in Singapore.
Scheduled to open by the end of 2017, Honeywell says the facility will feature a cyber security research and development lab, an advanced training facility and a security operations center (SOC) to support its managed security services.
“Honeywell’s major investments in new industrial cyber security technologies, services, and advanced research – including this new center of excellence in Singapore – will further strengthen our ability to secure and protect industrial assets, operations and people,” said Jeff Zindel, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Industrial Cyber Security. “The COE will provide a world-class innovation platform for smart industry, critical infrastructure protection and securing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in the Asia Pacific region.”
The new facility in Singapore, which is the first for the Asia Pacific region, is a further expansion of Honeywell’s global network of innovation centers—the first which is based in Atlanta, USA.
According to the company, the new lab will be used for research and development of new cyber security technologies and products, hands-on training and certifications, and testing and validation of industrial cyber security solutions.
“As part of Singapore’s push toward Advanced Manufacturing and a digital economy, EDB has been actively partnering with the industrial and infrastructural sectors to embrace the potential of digitalization,” said Ms. Fong Pin Fen, director for Cities, Infrastructure & Industrial Solutions at EDB. “A key component of success in our efforts is cyber security. Critical systems will have to be protected and on this note, we are pleased to support Honeywell in the opening of its new Industrial Cyber Security COE, which will help the industry remain secure as it embarks on its digital transformation.”
The COE will be located at Honeywell’s office in Singapore’s Changi Business Park and is expected to open by the end of 2017.
Honeywell said it plans to open a similar facility in Dubai later this year.
In April, Honeywell launched Secure Media Exchange (SMX), a new product designed to protect industrial facilities from USB-borne threats by providing a simple way for organizations to track the removable media devices connected to their systems.
In February 2016, Honeywell’s Industrial Cyber Security division established a partnership with firewall maker Palo Alto Networks, under which Honeywell offers Palo Alto Networks’ Next-Generation Security Platform to customers that operate industrial facilities and critical infrastructure environments.
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