Not that I’m remarkably paranoid, but honestly who hasn’t seen a reading that was not accurate on a control panel?   From The Business Insider   Geoffrey Ingersoll   Hacking into and shutting down industrial systems on which the U.S. relies is staggeringly easy, according to recent presentations from the Black Hat hacker conference. Picture […]

Schneider Electric SA (SU) agreed to buy the U.K.’s Invensys Plc (ISYS) for 3.4 billion pounds ($5.2 billion) to add software and control systems used by chemicals makers, oil refineries, and mining companies. The world’s biggest maker of low- and medium-voltage power gear is offering the equivalent of 502 pence a share, with shareholders able […]

So, for fun today I decided to pretend I was an Emerson DeltaV programmer and I wanted to change jobs.  Now in the process control world I am GOLD, but that’s beside the point. If you happen to plug into the massive job database Indeed, there’s no doubt you’ll find hundreds of openings for what […]

For those of you who consult..

by Bill Fester on April 12, 2013

in Jobs, People

From Seth Godin, a guy rich in business world savvy, but with no experience in process controls, comes today’s post. Seth might not be capable of writing control language on any DCS. But I think he captures the credo of the successful control systems consultants (including the ones that work with me). I don’t normally […]

There are a number of areas where interpreting published information and applying it in the real world has proven to be problematic. By James Agalloco The aseptic process simulation (or media fill test) has been a compliance expectation for aseptic processing operations since the 1980s. Industry guidance from the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), Pharmaceutical and […]

Techno- Hostages?

by Bill Fester on January 24, 2013

in Uncategorized

From Verge, the email exhibits from the Silicon No Hire Case.  How many handshake situations are out there? http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/23/3906374/email-exhibits-in-silicon-valley-no-hire-case

Process Security is a Never-Ending Journey

by Bill Fester on October 31, 2012

in DCS, Industries, People, Systems

Users and Suppliers Must Collaborate to Patch Control System Vulnerabilities from Jim Montague There’s no “set it and forget it” with process security. Much like taking out the trash and brushing your teeth, process security measures must be continually monitored and updated to stop an ever-multiplying number and variety of viruses and threats, according to […]

Currently searching for several PCS7 systems people for long term contract work in Wyoming. Requirements: Individual must have sufficient expertise and knowledge to work independently without any system specific technical guidance on Siemens PCS-7 Ver 7.1 and the following Siemens products and areas: WinCC HMI, PDM, Asset Management, CFC, SFC, Hardware Config, all aspects of […]

Abbott Labs cuts 550 jobs

by Bill Fester on October 29, 2012

in Industries, Jobs, Pharmaceutical

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drug and medical device maker Abbott Laboratories said today that it has cut 550 employees globally and plans to eliminate several hundred more positions next year. A spokeswoman for the North Chicago company says the layoffs were in Abbott’s nutrition, medical devices, established pharmaceuticals and molecular diagnostics divisions. In January Abbott announced […]

from: The Industrial Ethernet Book. Highly public lapses in the guarding of industrial networks have led to a new awareness. Security is an essential element of network design and management in today’s industrial enterprise. Guidelines produced by the ODVA, and abridged here in two parts by James Hunt, introduce the concept of cyber-security for Industrial […]