A Comprehensive Survey of Industry 4.0, IIoT and Areas of Implementation

As technology continually improves, industries need a way of capturing the change from physical to digital. The movement towards the use of cloud-based system controls resulted in the implementation of new sensors and software to older legacy systems. This has led to the development of cyber-physical systems, which allow for the physical machines to be controlled virtually. As more and more systems are converted to use digital systems, issues with security and inter-connectivity have begun to arise. Currently the three main targets for vulnerabilities within Industry 4.0 are the Devices, systems and networks. This has led standardization organizations to implement protocols and standards to ensure complete and secure data transmission. As standards and protocols continue to improve, industries such as food, oil, natural gas, and many others find great benefits in transitioning their machines to a more remote and cloud-based environment. By optimizing these machines companies have achieved greater efficiency, accuracy, reliability, and overall greater productivity.