swIDch

Who is swIDch?

swIDch is a prominent authentication security firm boasting an extensive portfolio of over 300 global patents, comprises a team of seasoned security experts with 20+ years of experience in the cybersecurity domain. Dedicated to continuous research and development, swIDch focuses on creating technologies that enhance the secure and convenient connection of identification and authentication between individuals, devices, and among devices in the ever-evolving ICT landscape, particularly operational technology (OT) and programmable logical controllers (PLCs). At the forefront of their offerings is the world’s first one-way dynamic unique identification code (OTAC), propelling them to the forefront of global authentication markets. This groundbreaking OTAC technology has been successfully integrated into finance, OT, and access management (IAM) sectors, solidifying swIDch’s pioneering role.

swIDch and PLCnext Technology

swIDch’s OTAC auth enhances security, productivity, and efficiency for Phoenix Contact’s PLC users, leading to increased competitiveness. First of all, it adds Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) capability to PLCnext devices. It improves user authentication without the need for additional hardware or network changes.  It does not require or rely on PKI, reducing the cost and time required to deploy a new authentication process. OTAC-generated authentication codes simplify PLC access management, limiting access to authorised users and devices, and eradicating password resets thereby reducing workload on OT security teams. It works on standalone (air-gapped) PLC devices, as well as networked PLC devices. With a compact algorithm code size, OTAC auth allows for versatile implementations, requiring low CPU overhead, so it does not consume much of the PLC system resources. Lastly, the setup process is straightforward, installing directly onto the PLC, enabling efficient management without requiring extensive technical expertise or training courses.