The virus attacks that experts have been warning about – industrial control networks managing vital communications, energy and manufacturing processes – is actually happening.

The news media, such as the Daily Telegraph, has been reporting that a computer worm named Stuxnet, whose origins have been alleged to be in the Israeli military, “has crippled Iranian computer systems, and stopped work at its newest nuclear power station.”

In a very timely move, PCN Technology announced available product technology that prevents computer worm attacks on large communication and energy management networks. Structured to be periodically updated to counter new attempts at mission-critical communication system intrusion and damage, the company is presenting its product lines to customers and others in industrial control, automation and energy management.

The importance of this capability to a large degree is linked to the company’s core technology now in the marketplace following extensive testing with Fortune 500 companies. PCN developed technology converts existing control and power networks into unified intelligent systems, without the usual re-engineering and construction upheaval such modernization to IP-based systems typically require.

By building in IP connectivity, PCN “enables infrastructures developed before the Internet to now be web connected but with stronger firewalls.” Seen by many as a game changer, this more rapid and less expensive transition to an intelligent and integrated infrastructure is accomplished because PCN’s embedded product technology utilizes any conductive medium that may be in place, according to PCN.

PCN’s embedded viral net firmware is built into PCN’s line of IP-485 products. These products create a single integrated TCP/IP, SCADA and energy network in which multiple forms of control and TCP/IP data are multiplexed via control and power wiring already in place. The total convergence, it says, “results in interconnectivity previously not available in such legacy systems, plus a level of communication security of significant value for facilities such as M2M networks, nuclear facilities, manufacturing plants, energy grids and other industrial control/automation systems.”

By having IP-485 products throughout industrial control networks and where TCP/IP may enter; PCN EC-3487 servers and clients constantly scan for viruses while simultaneously multiplexing control and TCP/IP data onto the same control and power wires already in place for overall connectivity. If a virus enters the network and passes firewalls (such as the Stuxnet virus), the virus would only remain on the TCP/IP multiplexed channel for milliseconds before being identified, secured and eliminated by IP-485 network controllers and clients. This prevents its ability to mutate or attack critical control or energy systems.

PCN IP-485 systems are designed to communicate and network on many types of power and control wires thus creating a single integrated conductive media system for convergence of power, control and IP based systems. Using its proprietary dynamic adaptive channeling algorithms, PCN products constantly scan physical mediums and channels on power and data wires. These algorithms identify anomalies to specifically eliminate threats of malicious viruses that may seep into control, automation, and energy M2M networks.

"PCN’s open standard embedded platform and resulting client and server products have accelerated the convergence of critical control, energy and IP applications within commercial, industrial, energy and defense industries,” said Dr. Venkat Shastri, CEO of PCN Technology. “This makes them an invaluable and secure solution for mission critical applications seeking convergence with TCP/IP based networks.”

For more, check out the M2M Evolution Conference. To be held Oct. 4 to 6 in Los Angeles and collocated with ITEXPO West 2010, the M2M Evolution Conference will focus on how telemetry has been changing to take advantage of the Internet, where WAN and LAN systems were points of aggregation in the past today’s machines benefit from the ability to connect worldwide. And as the machines continue to look to network the wireless world represents a large growth opportunity for data communication. Don’t wait. Register now.