Fujitsu and Trend Micro today announced a partnership around security for private 5G networks.

The companies said they will test Trend Micro’s Mobile Network Security product at a Fujitsu lab and plant in Japan to demonstrate security for private 5G in a simulated smart factory and an operational environment. The field trial will run through September, and based on the results, Fujitsu and Trend Micro may commercialize a private 5G security product.

“We believe that this security solution, created together with Trend Micro, represents a key technology for applying private 5G to mission-critical areas,” said Tomonori Goto, corporate executive officer, SVP, and head of the 5G Vertical Service Office at Fujitsu.

Private 5G networks will be key to enabling smart factories. They will provide the connectivity and automation to link factory devices and business applications, thus improving production capabilities and overall factory performance. However, the expanded IT infrastructure within operational technology (OT) environments also increases the risk for cyberattacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic put these risks on full display.

Cloud security incidents in manufacturing skyrocketed 230% between October 2019 and February 2021, according to Palo Alto Network’s latest Cloud Threat Report, and an earlier IBM Security report found manufacturing and energy were the most attacked industries in 2020. Cyberattacks in these environments are especially disruptive and costly to manufacturers because downtime on factories floors can disrupt critical supply chains.

For the demonstration, Fujitsu and Trend Micro incorporated Trend Micro’s Mobile Network Security into a private 5G system that simulates a smart factory environment equipped with high-definition monitoring cameras and automatic guided vehicles (AGV) at the Fujitsu Collaboration Lab in Kawasaki, Japan. This environment allowed the partners to visualize and centrally manage the status and security of systems, as well as correlate threat detection and prevention data from the devices and network.

Trend Micro’s product embeds endpoint security in the IoT device’s SIM card and network security running on the private 5G system. This allows it to protect smart factories from internal threats such as unauthorized or malware-infected devices, as well as external threats trying to enter the factory through the 5G network. Specifically, the software detects and prevents threats on the private network, authenticates devices trying to connect to the network, and blocks unauthorized communication in real time.

Fujitsu and Trend Micro will also conduct a field trial in an operational environment at Fujitsu’s Oyama Plant. Fujitsu began operating a private 5G network at the plant, in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, at the end of March.

“Together, we are making smart manufacturing more secure to ensure production isn’t stopped due to a cyberattack,” Trend Micro Executive VP Akihiko Omikawa said in a statement.