Case Study KUKA - Virus Free KUKA Robots

KUKA Roboter GmbH is a market leader in the supply of industrial robots for the automotive industry. Their robots run on a Windows operating system and are often networked. Customers are not permitted to implement system changes themselves without invalidating their support contracts. However the highly demanding environment in which KUKA systems operate (24/7/365) makes upgrading software difficult to schedule for the manufacturer. The lack of a maintenance window exposes systems to the threat of virus infection and breakdowns lead to lost productivity and increased costs. It therefore became imperative to find a solution to mitigate the identified risks.

• Industrial robots require safety and reliability
• Installing system updates in highly demanding work environments is difficult
• Traditional antivirus software places heavy resource requirements on systems that affect performance

By incorporating SE46 Software ID from neXus, a fully secured PC environment is established for robot controllers. Using the principle of ‘Default Deny’, unless specifically allowed, no unauthorized software is able to start. With SE46 Software ID the user creates digital application certificates, a sort of electronic ID card, without which no programs can run. This not only protects the robots against viruses and Trojans, but also prevents any non standard software from being introduced.

neXus’s SE46 Software ID prevents all unauthorized software from running on KUKA systems providing security and reliability.

• A secure environment throughout the critical manufacturing process, which provides protection from known and unknown threats, such as viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware
• High performing systems because nonauthorized software with the potential to affect performance is prevented from being installed
• Minimal management and maintenance as the system is stand alone and does not need real-time updates and support 
• Significant competitive advantage because risks are mitigated and production secured 
• A security solution that works effectively even in real-time manufacturing systems 
• Cost-effective solution

About KUKA Roboter GmbH

• World leading manufacturer of PC-based industrial robots 
• Core business is the development, production and marketing of industrial robots 
• Based in Augsburg, Germany 
• Part of the IWKA Group