New Release ISA-IEC-62443 Cybersecurity Questions

One of the primary goals of providing a framework that addresses secure product development lifecycle requirements is to ensure that security policies and procedures are well-documented. This objective is crucial because it establishes a structured and standardized approach to security that is integrated throughout the development process of software or systems. This framework helps in aligning the development process with security best practices, thereby mitigating risks associated with security vulnerabilities. Documentation of security policies and procedures ensures that security considerations are consistently applied and that compliance with relevant standards, such as ISA/IEC 62443, is maintained. This foundational approach supports the overall security posture by embedding security considerations directly into the lifecycle of product development, rather than addressing security as an afterthought.

The three general classes of firewalls are:

Packet Filtering Firewalls – Basic filters based on IPs, ports, protocols

Stateful Inspection Firewalls – Track active connections and session state

Application Proxy Firewalls – Act as intermediaries at the application layer

“Network inspection” is not a standard firewall classification, but rather a general term that may refer to DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) or NIDS (Network Intrusion Detection Systems).

“Firewall technologies are typically classified into packet filtering, stateful inspection, and application proxy types.”

— ISA/IEC 62443-3-3:2013, SR 5.1 – Zone Boundary Protection

ISA/IEC 62443-4-1 provides a framework for secure product development lifecycle (SDL). One of its primary goals is to ensure that security practices are integrated consistently and systematically throughout the product's development process.

“The objective of this part is to define a secure development lifecycle process that results in a consistent and repeatable approach to building secure products.”

— ISA/IEC 62443-4-1:2018, Clause 1 – Scope

While all listed items may contribute to security, the core intent of Part 4-1 is to ensure an aligned, structured development process.

An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a network security tool that monitors network traffic and devices for known malicious activity, suspicious activity or security policy violations. The IDS sends alerts to IT and security teams when it detects any security risks and threats. However, an IDS does not block or prevent the malicious activity, it only detects and reports it. Therefore, an IDS is not the lock on the door for networks and computer systems, nor is it effective against all vulnerabilities in networks and computer systems. An IDS can be combined with an intrusion prevention system (IPS) to block the malicious activity in real time. References:

What is Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)? How does it Work? | Fortinet1

Intrusion Detection System (IDS) - GeeksforGeeks2

What is an intrusion detection system (IDS)? - IBM3