IEC 62443-4-1 is an important standard in the IEC 62443 series. It focuses on making secure products for industrial automation and control systems (IACS). This standard sets clear rules for the Secure Product Development Lifecycle (SPDL), which means building cybersecurity right into the product development process. This way, manufacturers and developers can make sure their products are safe right from the beginning.
IEC 62443-4-1 is built around the idea of “security by design.” This means including cybersecurity in every step of product development — starting with understanding what’s needed, then designing and building the product, testing it, releasing it, and keeping it secure during its lifetime.
The standard organizes its rules into eight main practices:
- Specification of security requirements
- Secure design
- Secure implementation
- Security verification and validation
- Management of security-related issues
- Security update management
- Security guidelines
Each practice has detailed steps to guide secure product development.
Defense in depth
One big idea in IEC 62443-4-1 is “defense in depth.” Think of it as having many layers of security to protect a system. If one layer fails or is bypassed, other layers still keep the system safe.
In real life, this means using a mix of security tools and techniques — like splitting the network into sections, controlling access, encrypting data, and keeping logs — all working together to protect the system.
Maturity level
IEC 62443-4-1 also talks about maturity levels, which show how well a company follows the standard’s rules. There are four levels:
- Initial: Processes are informal and often not written down.
- Managed: Processes are documented and consistently followed.
- Defined: Processes are standardized and used across the whole company.
- Improving: Processes are regularly checked and improved based on feedback and data.
These levels help companies see how they are progressing and improve step by step. When companies get certified, their maturity level is part of the certificate.
Requirements of IEC 62443-4-1
Here’s what each of the eight practices covers:
Security management
This is the base for everything. It means setting up strong security practices within the company. This includes assigning clear security roles, having skilled people, setting security policies, and improving these processes over time. It also covers protecting the tools used for development and handling things like encryption keys safely.
Specification of security requirements
This step means clearly defining what security the product must have. It involves creating a threat model — basically, identifying possible attacks and weak spots — and understanding the product’s environment. Then, specific security needs are written down and carefully reviewed to make sure they cover everything.
Secure design
Here, security is built into the product’s design using the “defense in depth” approach. The design looks at all the product’s connections and makes sure things like access control and data validation are in place. Regular design reviews help spot any security holes.
Secure implementation
This covers writing code in a secure way by following best practices that avoid common security problems. Regular code reviews and tools that scan code automatically help catch issues early.
Security verification and validation
This means testing security measures to check if they work well. It includes different tests — from checking if security features function correctly to trying to find weaknesses through penetration tests. Testers should be independent from developers to keep reviews unbiased.
Management of security-related issues
This practice sets up processes to handle security problems found during development or after release. It includes receiving and tracking security reports, prioritizing issues, fixing them, and responsibly informing users.
Security update management
This focuses on safely managing product updates. It involves making sure updates fix problems without causing new ones, securely sending updates to users, and documenting the changes. Quick updates for critical security issues are especially important.
Security guidelines
This last practice is about creating clear security instructions for users. Manuals and guides help users install, configure, operate, and maintain the product securely. They cover things like secure setup, system hardening, managing users, and safe product retirement. These guides should be regularly updated.
Relationship with IEC 62443-4-2
IEC 62443-4-1 explains how to build products securely, while IEC 62443-4-2 lists the technical security features the products should have. Together, they work like this:
- IEC 62443-4-1 shows how to develop products securely.
- IEC 62443-4-2 specifies what security features the product must include.
Products built following IEC 62443-4-1 should meet the security requirements in IEC 62443-4-2. The development process makes sure these technical features are correctly implemented and tested.
Relationship between IEC 62443-4-1 and the cyber resilience act
IEC 62443-4-1 is key to following the European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The CRA sets rules for cybersecurity of products with digital parts, and IEC 62443-4-1 gives detailed guidance on how to develop those products securely.
Most of the CRA’s process requirements—like managing security, setting requirements, designing and building securely, and handling vulnerabilities and updates—are covered by IEC 62443-4-1. While it doesn’t specifically require a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), following IEC 62443-4-1 often means companies gather that info anyway.
For the CRA’s technical requirements, IEC 62443-4-1 alone isn’t enough. It needs to be combined with other standards like ETSI EN 303 645 and EN 18031. Overall, IEC 62443-4-1 offers a strong foundation for companies to meet CRA’s process demands and develop secure products.
Templates for implementing IEC 62443-4-1
Using templates can make following IEC 62443-4-1 much easier. Templates give a ready-made structure for managing security, analyzing requirements, and handling vulnerabilities. They save time and help companies follow best practices.
It’s important to balance standard templates with company-specific adjustments. For a detailed look at different templates, their pros and cons, and advice on picking the right one, see our article IEC 62443-4-1 Templates: A Market Overview and Our Offering.
Conclusion
IEC 62443-4-1 offers a clear and detailed framework to build secure products. By following its rules and moving up maturity levels, companies can make their products safer and show their security efforts. Together with IEC 62443-4-2, it creates a strong base for meeting today’s tough security demands in industry.