DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, has announced a new partnership with Moxa Inc., a leader in industrial communication and networking, as part of its Technology Alliance Partner Program to jointly develop state-of-the-art solutions to protect Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments like smart manufacturing and smart energy.

IIoT projects offer organizations across a range of sectors the opportunity to become more agile, efficient and cost effective. In manufacturing, oil and gas, and transportation, adoption of solutions is estimated to have reached 86 percent1. Surging interest in IIoT is also driving a rapidly growing smart city market predicted to be worth over $2.5 trillion by 20252.

However, IIoT cyber risk continues to grow and threaten the success of IIoT applications. Insecure devices and networks can be exploited to sabotage industrial equipment, leveraged to cause damaging ransomware outages, or used to reach sensitive stores of corporate data elsewhere on enterprise networks. Many organizations struggle with securing their IIoT devices because these devices are at the crossroads of IT and OT organizations. The responsibility for their security is often unclear.

“We’re delighted to be entering this Technology Partnership Agreement with Moxa,” said Eva Chen, chief executive officer for Trend Micro. “IT and OT technology continue to converge, and organizations need support in securing the infrastructure shift and new connections on their network. Partnering with strong industry leaders like Moxa has been an important part of our strategy over the past 30 years.”

To provide the security necessary for edge connectivity, device management and product longevity for IIoT applications, the initial joint offering will focus on endpoint lockdown, firewalls for operational technology (OT) networks, and embedded security to add value for asset owners and plant operators across the globe.

“We are excited about our partnerships with industry leaders like Trend Micro, which allows our customers to take advantage of Moxa’s 30 years of OT, industrial networking and protocol expertise combined with Trend Micro’s extensive experience in cybersecurity and threat intelligence,” said Andy Cheng, president, strategic business Unit, for Moxa. “This collaboration further equips us to help our customers overcome the challenges of IT and OT convergence and to address the needs of increasingly demanding industrial applications in the era of IIoT.”

Trend Micro identified the potential challenges faced by IIoT stakeholders early on and has been working on several fronts to secure the entire ecosystem, from data center to device. This includes developing and gathering intelligence on new vulnerabilities, collaborating closely with ISPs on Virtual Network Function-based security, and working on innovative new solutions with embedded computing developers and device manufacturers.

For further information on securing IoT and IIoT environments and Trend Micro’s large and growing portfolio of solutions, please visit https://www.trendmicro.com/us/iot-security/Solutions/overview.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world’s most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro secures your connected world. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

About Moxa

Moxa is a leading provider of edge connectivity, industrial computing, and network infrastructure solutions for enabling connectivity for the Industrial Internet of Things. With over 30 years of industry experience, Moxa has connected more than 50 million devices worldwide and has a distribution and service network that reaches customers in more than 70 countries. Moxa delivers lasting business value by empowering industry with reliable networks and sincere service for industrial communications infrastructures. Information about Moxa’s solutions is available at www.moxa.com.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

1 2017 Annual IIoT Maturity Survey Adoption of IIoT in Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, and Transportation, Whitepaper, Bsquare, 2017

2 Smart Cities Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report, Grand View Research, 2018