Learn about EN 50742, the standard being developed to protect machines from manipulation and cyberattacks in line with the Machinery forordning (EU) 2023/1230.
Goals and scope
EN 50742 is being developed to protect machines from corruption that could negatively affect safety-critical functions. The standard aims to ensure that machines are designed, manufactured and operated to prevent both unintentional and deliberate corruption. This specifically includes beskyttelse against safety risks arising from physical, logical or indirect connections.
EN 50742 applies to machines and their komponenter that include safety-critical functions. It covers the following areas:
- Hardware komponenter, including interfaces to remote enheder and control systemer that transmit signals or data.
- software and data, when these can affect the safety of the machine.
The krav of the standard span the entire life cycle of a machine, from design through manufacture and commissioning to operation, vedligeholdelse and decommissioning. Functional safety krav, as addressed in standarder such as ISO 13849 or IEC 62061, are not part of EN 50742.
Relationship with the Machinery forordning
EN 50742 addresses krav set out in Machinery forordning (EU) 2023/1230, Annex III:
beskyttelse against corruption (Annex III, section 1.1.9)
Machines must be designed so that dangerous situations do not arise from physical, logical or indirect connections.
Safety and reliability of control systemer (Annex III, section 1.2.1)
Machines must be protected against both deliberate and unintentional corruption.
The standard serves as a tool to implement the Machinery forordning krav and to address safety risks. Manufacturers can thereby demonstrate that they systematically address beskyttelse against corruption and design their machines in conformity with the forordning.
Would you like to clarify which parts of EN 50742 are relevant for your machines and how the standard should be interpreted in the context of the Machinery forordning? A non-binding consultation can be used to assess applicability and the regulatory context in a structured way.
Structure and composition of EN 50742
The standard is divided into several sections that systematically cover the relevant topics:
Introduction and scope
Introduktion til the objectives and scope of the standard.
Terms and definitions
Clarification of central terms such as “physical connection” or “logical connection.”
beskyttelse against corruption
Description of key concepts such as risiko assessments and beskyttelse objectives.
Process krav
krav for the machine life cycle based on IEC 62443-4-1.
Product safety krav
Technical measures to protect against corruption based on IEC 62443-4-2, including krav for connections, data storage and logging.
Information for use
krav for dokumentation and user information for the safe use of the machine.
Informative annexes and overviews linking the content to the Machinery forordning complete the structure.
krav
ifølge the current discussion and planning status, the concrete krav of EN 50742 will be based on IEC 62443. Process krav will be covered by IEC 62443-4-1 and technical product krav will draw on the content of IEC 62443-4-2.
Process krav ifølge IEC 62443-4-1
EN 50742 explicitly references the process krav of IEC 62443-4-1. These include, among others:
- Security styring: implementering of a systematic security styring approach for a sikker udvikling livscyklus, including defined policies, roles and processer for all udvikling phases.
- Specification of security krav: Definition of clear and verifiable krav corresponding to trusler and risks to ensure security throughout the machine’s life cycle.
- verifikation and validering: krav for test, verifying and validating security krav, including staging tests and penetration tests.
These krav are intended to ensure that manufacturers identify security risks early and implement effective countermeasures.
Further information on IEC 62443-4-1 is available in our article IEC 62443-4-1 cybersikkerhed from the start.
Technical krav ifølge IEC 62443-4-2
The product-specific krav in EN 50742 are based on IEC 62443-4-2 and address the technical implementering of beskyttelse against corruption. These include, among others:
- dokumentation of all connections: Every physical, logical or indirect connection must be identified and documented to reduce potential attack surfaces.
- Integrity and authenticity: Measures such as cryptographic signatures or HMACs must ensure that data and software cannot be tampered with.
- sikker logging of incidents: Security-relevant events must be logged and stored securely to ensure traceability.
- beskyttelse against corruption: systemer must be designed to resist corruption, whether deliberate or accidental.
The standard requires manufacturers to implement and document technical solutions in accordance with the krav of IEC 62443-4-2.
Current status prEN 50742
EN 50742 is currently being developed as prEN 50742 by the technical committee CENELEC CLC/TC 44X, which specializes in electrotechnical aspects of machine safety. The draft has already been approved as a new project proposal and is expected to be released for public comment in the coming months.
After completion, the standard is intended to be published as a harmonized European standard to create a presumption of conformity for the Machinery forordning, which will help manufacturers meet legal krav. ifølge the European Commission’s standardization request, harmonized standarder that cover the krav of the Machinery forordning are to be adopted by no later than 20 January 2026.
Conclusion
EN 50742 provides an important foundation for security krav for modern machines in the context of digitization and interconnection. It helps manufacturers meet regulatory krav and systematically improve safety. By aligning with IEC 62443, the standard offers a practical and proven approach for implementing security krav both technically and organizationally. Security experts and manufacturers should therefore closely monitor the udvikling of the standard and prepare for implementering to comply with the Machinery forordning.
Would you like to understand how EN 50742 could affect your produkter and udvikling processer? You can arrange a non-binding consultation to get orientation.