General Manager at Element Materials Technology Andy Smith will be presenting at Hazardex Live 2026 about the cyber threats that Ex products face.

Products used in potentially explosive atmospheres are, quite understandably, subject to strict rules and regulations to ensure they are safe. In recent years, technological advancements have allowed for improved safety via round-the-clock monitoring, remote supervision, and even automated systems which can ensure safety without human intervention. But this connected world, whether we realise it or not, comes with inherent risks.
 
If the operational data for a site is held on a server, how do we know that data is safe from exfiltration, tampering, or ransomware attacks? If a supervisor can log in remotely to activate a control valve, what’s to stop a malicious actor from doing the same?
 
In this session we will explore the risks these products are exposed to, some potential mitigations, and the legislative frameworks which mandate the minimum levels of cyber security testing and assessment that manufacturers must perform before placing their products on the market.

About the speaker:

Andy Smith is currently the General Manager for Element Materials Technology Skelmersdale, an Approved Body for the UK’s Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations and Notified Body of the European Union Directive 2014/34/EU (ATEX). Andy has been involved with Ex Product evaluation, testing, certification and manufacturing for 23 years, beginning his career in manufacturing of Ex Components and equipment and moving into ATEX and IECEx product certification. He is a member of the BSI standardisation committee EXL/31, the European standardisation committee CLC/TC31, and a member of nine IEC TC31 standardisation committee project teams, maintenance teams and working groups.