Follow-up solutions for the post about “Honeywell E-PKS workstations shutting down mysteriously, cause unknown”. For everyone to share

Thread Content

Dear netizens of Haichuan: Hello! In the post titled “Honeywell E-PKS workstation shuts down mysteriously; cause unknown,” I discussed a problem I encountered at work recently, and I received many suggestions from experts – thank you all. The issue has been resolved over the past few days, and I’m sharing the solution here for everyone’s reference. The possibility of “file loss” was mentioned in previous posts, and this is also a starting point for solving the problem. Here is the approach to resolving it: “File loss” -> 1. Human error -> Consult a dedicated engineer -> No unauthorized deletion operations have taken place -> Rule out this possibility -> 2. System instability -> Check the system’s operation logs -> The system has not been restarted or shut down since it was last started, and has been running smoothly ever since -> Rule out this possibility -> 3. Virus -> Insert a clean USB drive -> Copy any file onto it -> Plug this USB drive into a computer with antivirus software installed (ensuring that the antivirus software has the latest virus database) -> The antivirus software detects a virus -> The problem is identified. It seems that the problem can be resolved quickly, but various complications arise during the resolution process; the details of these complications will not be discussed here. The insights gained from this are as follows: 1. Systems should be backed up regularly and on time, so that there are the latest backups available for use when restoring the system, thereby reducing the workload after restoration. 2. Develop a thorough work plan and avoid being lazy. (After the first system restoration, it was found that the problem had not been resolved; after much thought, it was realized that the computer’s hard drive had not been cleaned thoroughly before the system restoration, and there were also virus copies in other partitions of the hard drive.) Finally, thoroughly clean the computer hard drive to restore the system. 3. In the computers within the DCS system (whether they are servers, engineer stations, or operator stations), it is recommended to disable the USB ports and optical drives in order to prevent unauthorized external information from entering the control system. The incident in question occurred because the USB port on the engineer station was not disabled; an employee connected a \"contaminated\" external hard drive to that station, which led to the computer being infected. In conclusion: 1. Resolving this problem relied to some extent on luck. If the virus does not actively infect devices that are newly connected to the system, it will be very difficult to detect its presence. 2. It was also a matter of luck – this virus is relatively harmless; it did not cause widespread damage to the systems, nor did it spread to other computers through the DCS network. It also taught us a lesson through it. 3. Regarding the control systems used in production, do you have any successful experiences or suggestions regarding system protection? Hope to be able to share. Thank you! Once again, thank you to all those who offered their suggestions. The above are my personal experiences, which I’d like to share with everyone.