How to Secure OPC Data Transfer Across Industrial Systems (DCOM‑free & Encrypted)

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Are you looking for secure ways to transfer real-time OPC data across your industrial network and up to the cloud, without DCOM headaches or exposure to security vulnerabilities?

In modern industrial environments, securely transmitting OPC data is critical for operational efficiency and cybersecurity. Whether you’re using OPC Classic (DA) or OPC UA, you need a solution that provides encrypted communication, strong authentication, and reliable delivery across networks, DMZs, and cloud platforms.

In this article, we show how OPC Easy Archiver combined with OPCNet Broker (ONB) establishes a secure end-to-end OPC data pipeline, from on-premise systems all the way to enterprise or cloud MQTT brokers.

Why Securing OPC Data Matters

OPC Classic relies on DCOM, which is complex and exposes security vulnerabilities.
Unencrypted OPC traffic can be intercepted or tampered with, especially across network boundaries.
Industrial networks increasingly connect to enterprise and cloud platforms, so secure transport is essential.

Without a robust, secure OPC transport strategy, you risk:

Data breaches
Operational downtime
Compromised analytics or control decisions

Security is fundamental in IIoT and Industry 4.0 architectures.

Secure OPC Data Transfer Architecture

Solution: OPC Easy Archiver + OPCNet Broker (ONB)

This combination provides:

OPC Easy Archiver: Collects OPC DA/UA data and reliably delivers it to MQTT brokers, databases, or the cloud. Supports store-and-forward and reconnection features to handle network issues.
OPCNet Broker (ONB): Acts as a central MQTT broker, enforcing tag-level security and access rights, handling multi-tenant flows, and ensuring encrypted, firewall-friendly communications.

Together, they create a DCOM-free, secure OPC data pipeline suitable for enterprise, remote sites, or cloud deployments.

Key Features of This Secure Solution

Access real-time OPC data without DCOM configuration issues
Encrypted communications between OPC servers and brokers
Tag-level security with ONB add-ons
Forward OPC data to MQTT brokers on-site, remote sites, or in the cloud
Supports MQTT 3.1 and 3.1.1
Reliable delivery with store-and-forward and auto-reconnection
DMZ-friendly deployment
Publish OPC data to Azure IoT Hub via MQTT

Best Practices for Secure OPC Transfers

✔ Avoid DCOM whenever possible – it increases the attack surface
✔ Use encryption for all data in motion (TLS/SSL, MQTT encryption)
✔ Implement user authentication and tag-level access control
✔ Segment traffic via DMZ, VPN, or secure zones
✔ Monitor and audit tag-level access
✔ Test store-and-forward for network reliability

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