With the full implementation of the EU’s Cyber Resilience Law, security must now be inherently embedded from the product design stage; netX, which supports all real-time Ethernet standards, integrates various modern security features to meet the EU’s Cyber Resilience Law.

Hilscher, an industrial communications solutions company, introduced its new products and strategies to respond to major security regulations, such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) based on the European Union (EU)’s Digital New Year Strategy 2030, at a press conference on the 11th.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Won Il-min, President of Hilscher Korea, followed by presentations from Frank Behnke, Head of IT and Security at Hilscher, and Heiko Henkel, Head of Chip Product Management at Hilscher.

Frank Benke, the head, explained, “The EU’s Digital New Year Strategy 2030 aims to secure Europe’s digital sovereignty and strengthen technological competitiveness,” adding, “Based on this strategy, various security regulations such as CRA, NIS2, AI Law, and RED (Radio Equipment Directive) are being introduced.”

He said, “Now, security must be inherently internalized from the product design stage.”He emphasized, “Adding it after the fact is not enough.”

The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) directly targets manufacturers of products containing digital elements and requires the application of 'Security by Design' principles starting from the design phase.

Risk management throughout the entire lifecycle is required, including secure development processes, code reviews, threat analysis, and test strategies. In addition, obligations regarding vulnerability tracking, security updates, and incident reporting have also been strengthened.

In particular, the RED guidelines are scheduled to be fully implemented starting August 1, 2025, and specify concrete and measurable security requirements for wireless equipment, such as network protection, privacy protection, and fraud prevention.

NIS2 also expands its scope of application to various industrial sectors, including energy, transportation, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, and small and medium-sized enterprises become subject to regulation if they are classified as critical institutions.

To respond to these changes, Hilscher is developing and supplying communication solutions equipped with security systems, such as the netX series.

President Won Il-min stated, “Currently, over 3,000 client companies are using Hilscher products, and more than 60% of total sales come from global client branches.”

Based on over 1,100 product families for industrial communication, the netX series is installed and operating on 24 million nodes worldwide.

In particular, netX is widely applied in the OT domain, including various controllers, IO devices, robots, HMIs, and motor controllers in industrial sites.

The netX chip platform consists of three pillars: communication processors, software and firmware solutions, and consulting, education, and technical support.

The communication processor is scalable and long-lasting, and supports all real-time Ethernet standards.

Software and firmware solutions provide various development environments, such as loadable firmware, middleware development tools, and startup kits.

In the service area, we provide support for consulting, training, and technical assistance, as well as product certification.

The latest netX 90, 902, and 912 series support Gigabit, encryption and decryption functions, low-latency communication, and IoT servicesIt is equipped with advanced features such as Vis.

Its strengths also include a small form factor (10mm x 10mm), low power consumption, and long-term support (at least 10 years) through built-in flash, RAM, Ethernet PHY, DC-DC, etc.

It integrates the latest security features such as secure boot, user authentication, authorization management, encryption, and security updates, and also supports protocol stacks for IT and IoT integration such as OPC UA and MQTT.

“The netX chip supports industrial Ethernet, fieldbus, and IIoT standards, and provides various evaluation boards and development environments, including various drive profiles (AC1, AC4, CIA402, etc.) required by customers, motion control boards, and companion chips for STM32 nanoboards,” explained Heiko Henkel.

In addition, Hilscher is preparing for international certifications such as IEC 62443-4-1 (Secure Development Lifecycle) and ISO 27001 (Network Information Security), and is simultaneously conducting pre-audits to respond to the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and regulatory compliance work for existing products.

Hilscher Korea has conducted business in various industrial sectors, including semiconductors, LCDs, robots, automobiles, industrial controllers, shipbuilding, railways, and medical equipment.

Recently, the company has been focusing on the fields of robotics, motion control, and shipbuilding, and is accelerating the expansion of OEM supply and the development of new products.

President Won Il-min stated, “The Korean market has strengths in robotics and motion profile support (AC1, AC2, CIA402, etc.), and we are also cooperating with major companies in the shipbuilding sector.”

Recently, cyber incidents in manufacturing sites are becoming more diverse in scope and methods of attack as IT and OT (Operational Technology) networks become closely connected.

The number of incidents more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, and network vulnerabilities are spreading to OT The number of cases is increasing.

General Manager Frank Benke emphasized, “Security, transparency, and compliance must be integrated into the system architecture from the beginning, and collaboration among development, operations, security, and compliance departments is essential.”

In addition, the company stated, “With the full implementation of EU security regulations such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) approaching, companies need to clearly understand regulatory requirements by product family and take comprehensive measures including security updates, vulnerability management, documentation, and conformity assessments,” adding, “Hilscher will provide a framework of standards that allows companies to meet CRA requirements through early status checks, gap analysis, and phased action implementation, align internal security standards with legal requirements, and strengthen them if necessary.”