Valve Actuator Cybersecurity: A Buyer's Checklist Aligned with IEC 62443

Valve automation connects control commands with physical movement. Therefore, an unwanted command, changed setting, or lost communication link can affect more than data. It can disrupt flow control and plant operation. A digital valve actuator may offer useful setup and diagnostic functions. However, buyers should also understand how those functions are protected and how the actuator fits into the plant’s security design. An IEC 62443-aware purchasing process helps turn broad security questions into clear requirements. The aim is to select suitable equipment, identify missing controls, and assign responsibility before installation. Understand What IEC 62443 Covers IEC 62443 is a series of industrial automation and control system security standards. Different parts address different responsibilities: Standard part Main focus Buyer’s question IEC 62443-3-2 System security risk assessment What risks and network boundaries must the project address? IEC 62443-3-3 System security requirements Which controls must the installed system provide? IEC 62443-4-1 Secure product development lifecycle How does the supplier develop and maintain secure products? IEC 62443-4-2 Component technical security requirements What security capabilities does the specific component provide? These are related scopes, so evidence for one should not be treated as proof of all four. Also, “IEC 62443-aware” describes a purchasing approach. It does not establish that a product is certified. 1. Identify Every Digital Valve Actuator Interface Start with the exact model and supplied options. Terms such as “smart” or “digital” do not explain which connections are present. Request an interface list covering, where applicable: Fieldbus and industrial Ethernet connections. Local configuration ports. USB or serial service connections. Bluetooth or other wireless functions. Configuration software and maintenance tools. Remote access paths through controllers or gateways. Separate installed features from optional ones. Then confirm which interfaces can be disabled. An actuator using dry contacts or analog signals may have no direct network connection. However, its controller, gateway, or service tool can still introduce digital access paths. 2. Define the Security Boundary for a Fieldbus Electric Actuator A fieldbus electric actuator should be assessed as part of its control network. Ask for the exact protocol, version, communication module, and network drawing. Do not assume that a familiar protocol includes authentication or encryption in the supplied configuration. IEC 62443-3-2 addresses dividing the system into zones and conduits, assessing their risks, and defining target security levels. In practical terms, buyers need to know which assets belong together and which communication paths cross security boundaries.  Where the field device cannot provide a required control, document the protective measures needed elsewhere. These may include restricted gateway access, network segmentation, and controlled maintenance connections. Such measures must be assessed at system level; they do not turn the actuator itself into a certified component. 3. Control Who Can Operate and Configure the Actuator Operating a valve and changing its settings are different privileges. Ask whether the supplied equipment can distinguish viewing, operation, configuration, and maintenance access. Where accounts or passwords exist, confirm how credentials are set, changed, recovered, and removed. Useful questions include: Are shared default credentials present? Can unused accounts or services be disabled? Who can change travel limits or control modes? How is local control protected? Does remote access require separate authorization? If the actuator has limited access controls, identify which functions must be protected by the PLC, gateway, workstation, or physical enclosure. Also, agree on who owns credentials after commissioning. 4. Check Firmware and Configuration Integrity Firmware controls the actuator’s digital behavior. Configuration determines how it responds within the process. Ask the supplier how updates are obtained, checked, installed, and recorded. Request evidence of authenticity checks, such as signature verification, where supported. Also, confirm: Who may initiate an update. Whether the valve remains available during the update. What happens if power fails. How approved settings are backed up. How recovery is performed after an unsuccessful update. For a simple device without field-updatable firmware, document that limitation and its maintenance implications. These questions support system integrity, one of the seven foundational requirement areas described in IEC 62443-4-2. Other areas include access control, restricted data flow, event response, and availability.  5. Review Electric Actuator Cybersecurity During Faults Security controls must work with the plant’s operating needs. Define what should happen when communication fails, power is lost, or the controller sends invalid data. The correct response may be to hold position, move to a defined position, or follow another approved strategy. There is no universal safe valve position. The process risk assessment must determine the required behavior, and the selected actuator arrangement must support it. Keep these requirements separate: Loss of communication. Loss of electrical power. Unauthorized configuration changes. Actuator mechanical or electrical faults. Cybersecurity and functional safety have different scopes. Evidence for one does not replace evidence for the other. 6. Ask What Events Can Be Detected and Recorded A device may report faults without keeping a security event log. Therefore, ask exactly what it records. Relevant events may include configuration changes, firmware updates, failed access attempts, and communication faults. Confirm whether records include timestamps, how long they remain available, and whether they can be exported. If the actuator lacks these functions, decide what the control system or maintenance tools must record instead. For troubleshooting, retain the model, firmware version, approved settings, and commissioning record. These details help distinguish an equipment fault from an unexpected change. 7. Verify Supplier Support and Certification Claims Ask for a security contact, vulnerability reporting route, update policy, and expected support period. Where relevant, request a software bill of materials or information about included third-party software. Also, agree on how buyers will receive security notices. If certification is claimed, check: The issuing body and certificate reference. The applicable standard part. The covered product and hardware versions. Firmware versions and communication options. Claimed security capability and stated conditions. Required installation and operating assumptions. A secure development process certificate does not automatically certify every product’s technical capabilities. Likewise, a component certificate does not establish the security of the whole plant. Apply the Checklist When Sourcing from OMKEE OMKEE’s website presents electric valve actuators with several control arrangements, including contact-based operation and analog modulating control. These differences make model-specific interface checks important. For any proposed digital or fieldbus configuration, ask OMKEE to confirm the actual communication features and available security evidence. Do not infer cybersecurity certification from enclosure ratings, explosion protection, CE marking, or quality management credentials. Send OMKEE a project brief containing the valve duty, torque, power supply, control interface, network architecture, required fault behavior, and security documentation needs. Finally, agree on acceptance checks with the supplier and integrator. Test the approved configuration in a controlled environment before commissioning, and record which protections belong to the actuator and which belong to the wider control system.