Highlights from Cybersecurity Standards Webinar
By Cher Wu, SEMI Taiwan
SEMI recently held a webinar on the introduction and practice of SEMI E187, Specification for Cybersecurity of Fab Equipment, and speakers came to the Industrial Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and TSMC, hoping to help the SEMI E187 standard become the cornerstone of semiconductor equipment and operation technology (OT) information security through this activity.
TSMC pointed out that the SEMI E187 standard is an important milestone in the progress of semiconductor equipment of information security. What is even more commendable is that this standard, being led by Taiwanese manufacturers and academic research institutions, is also the first standard related to equipment information security in the semiconductor industry. Setting up a good standard is just the beginning. SEMI hopes this Specification and future efforts will be widely adopted and improve the cybersecurity of the whole industry.
The speaker from the Industrial Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs addressed that semiconductors are an important industry in Taiwan, and there would be no industrial security without information security. With SEMI E187, the production of semiconductors will become more secure, and at the same time, it will increase development opportunities for Taiwanese semiconductor equipment manufacturers and cybersecurity related industry players. Next, the Bureau of Industry and SEMI will jointly establish an example of the introduction of SEMI E187, and expect to fully introduce the SEMI E187 standard in Taiwan's semiconductor industry within the next four years.
The supply/purchase ends start to simultaneously accelerate the standard introduction
The SEMI Fab & Equipment Information Security Task Force Leader, Mr. Leon Chang said, SEMI E187 is a comprehensive semiconductor equipment security standard. It has the full coverage of the key elements of the four major semiconductor equipment, namely operating system (OS), network, endpoint protection and security monitoring/ cybersecurity audit, and sets out clear and specific requirements for the conditions that its cybersecurity must meet. Under the guidance of this standard, suppliers of related equipment and software, as well as manufacturers, can quickly grasp the key points, understand the shortcomings of existing production line of equipment in terms of cybersecurity, and then build up safer OT environment.
When TSMC decides to purchase equipment, adherence to SEMI E187 could be listed as one of the basic requirements as soon as this year.
Mastering the specific requirements of the standard is crucial Enhancing supply chain information security depends on all-round collaboration
To import SEMI E187, the most important thing is to master the four major elements covered by the standard (i.e., OS, network, endpoint protection and monitoring/auditing), and what their requirements are.
For example, in terms of the OS, SEMI E187 clearly stipulates that products provided by equipment suppliers should not be equipped with an OS that the OS supplier has stopped supporting. As for after delivery of the equipment, if the OS stops supporting, it can be reinforced with other information security solutions in practice.
In terms of network transmission, endpoint protection, and monitoring/auditing, SEMI E187 also puts forward very clear and specific provisions. If manufacturers of each industry who want to know more about the details, they can purchase SEMI E187 from SEMI's official website.
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For more information, please visit our main Web site and current events page. If you have any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff.
Standards Watch
SEMI
www.semi.org
June 15, 2022