Legacy industrial protocols such as OPC Classic, Modbus, and other early OT communication standards were engineered for connectivity, not cybersecurity. In the era of industrial digital transformation and Industry 4.0, OT assets are becoming increasingly connected with IT networks and consequently exposed to modern cyber threats. Using OT legacy protocols presents substantial vulnerabilities for your industrial data and operations.
In this article, we examine the security gaps in legacy industrial protocols and explain how OPC UA Wrapper offers a secure bridge to modern architectures, without replacing your existing systems.
Why Legacy Protocols Put Your Industrial Data at Risk?
Legacy OPC Classic protocols, while still functional, come with real limitations:
- Tied to outdated Windows COM/DCOM frameworks
- Lack of encryption and modern authentication
- Known and exploited cyber security vulnerabilities
- Poor integration with IIoT/cloud-based tools
- High maintenance and configuration efforts
Modernizing your data flow shouldn’t require replacing every device or rewriting every application.
OPC UA Wrapper: Securely Bridge Legacy Systems to Modern Architectures
Migrating from legacy industrial protocols such as OPC Classic to the modern OPC UA standard is a complex and resource-intensive process. Key challenges include:
To overcome these challenges, we introduce our OPC UA Wrapper, a plug-and-play product that securely connects legacy OPC Classic servers/clients with OPC UA clients/servers. This approach lets you modernize your communication architecture without replacing existing assets, significantly reducing risks and costs.
How the OPC UA Wrapper Strengthens Security
- Encrypts Legacy Communications: Wraps legacy OPC data in encrypted OPC UA sessions, securing data in transit.
- Enables Strong Authentication: Supports certificate-based user and application validation to prevent unauthorized access.
- Improves Traceability: Provides advanced logging and diagnostics to monitor communications and identify anomalies.
- Maximizes Interoperability:
- Wrapper component: Allows legacy OPC DA, HDA, and AE servers to coexist with modern OPC UA clients effortlessly.
- Proxy component: Allows legacy OPC DA, HDA, and AE clients to communicate with modern OPC UA servers effortlessly.
- Supports Compliance: Helps meet cybersecurity regulations with up-to-date security configurations and certificate management.
This means your industrial data benefits from the full security features of OPC UA while preserving your investment in legacy infrastructure and isolating the use of legacy OPC communications to a restricted zone.
Real-World Consequences of Legacy Protocol Use
- Widespread Insecure Deployments: Studies have found that up to 92% of OPC UA implementations in the industry are insecurely configured, often due to legacy integration challenges and misconfiguration.
- Operational Disruption: Poorly secured legacy protocols have enabled attackers to paralyze entire factories, as demonstrated in recent high-profile Incidents.
Source: www.eclatron.com/
Ready for a secure upgrade?
CTA: Download our step-by-step OPC UA migration guide (PDF)
Best Practices for Industrial Data Security
- Migrate to OPC UA: Replace legacy protocols with OPC UA wherever possible to leverage its robust security features.
- Regular Security Audits: Continuously assess and update the configuration of OPC UA systems, especially those integrated with legacy components.
- Training and Documentation: Equip engineers and operators with up-to-date knowledge on secure OPC UA deployment and management.
Look at What Industry Leaders Say about Our OPC UA Wrapper!
“OPC UA Wrapper allowed us to enhance security across our legacy OPC servers without disrupting operations. The encryption and authentication features have been critical to implement security measures recommended during cyber security audits.”
– IT Security Manager, Chemical Manufacturing
“Our transition to Industry 4.0 was further facilitated with our migration to OPC UA via the Wrapper. It helped bridging old and new systems securely.”
– Automation Engineer, Automotive Industry
“The OPC UA Wrapper provided peace of mind by closing security gaps and allowing us to integrate modern applications without replacing legacy servers.”
– Digital Transformation Lead, Energy Sector
CTA: Interested in a tutorial? Watch our how-to video on configuring OPC UA Wrapper
Protect Your Industrial Data, Act Now!
Legacy protocols are not just outdated, they are a serious cybersecurity liability due to well-known security vulnerabilities. For instance, the widespread DCOM vulnerability (CVE-2021-26414), addressed by Microsoft in the KB5004442 Windows update, introduced mandatory security hardening measures that many OPC Classic client applications struggle to support without major updates. This exemplifies how legacy systems relying on DCOM can be exposed to remote attacks, operational disruptions, and complex compatibility issues.
The increasing frequency and sophistication of industrial cyberattacks targeting industrial companies and critical infrastructures demand immediate action to protect your data and operational continuity.
Our OPC UA Wrapper provides an immediate solution to secure legacy OPC systems against modern threats, ensuring encrypted, authenticated, and auditable communications without replacing your existing infrastructure.
