Kontron Aims to Offer the Secure "Windows for Machines"

Industrial IT Security Kontron Aims to Offer the Secure "Windows for Machines"

2025-12-10 From Manuel Christa | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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At SPS 2025, Kontron positions itself with a platform approach consisting of an operating system, security layer, and pre-integrated hardware in response to the Cyber Resilience Act.

Kontron CEO Hannes Niederhauser: At SPS 2025, he positions his Linux distribution as a CRA-compliant platform.(Image: mc/VCG) — Kontron CEO Hannes Niederhauser: At SPS 2025, he positions his Linux distribution as a CRA-compliant platform.
(Image: mc/VCG)

The Cyber Resilience Act puts manufacturers of industrial IT systems under pressure. From 2027, connected devices must demonstrably be secured throughout their entire lifecycle. Kontron CEO Hannes Niederhauser emphasized at the press conference that the urgency is rapidly approaching: "In 2027, the Cyber Resilience Act will become mandatory. And the next step, after NIS2, is significantly more deeply rooted in technology."

At the center is KontronOS, a hardened Linux-based operating system designed to serve as a unified security foundation for industrial PCs and edge systems. Kontron describes the approach as "Windows for machines": boot chain, updates, encryption, and documentation are centrally controlled, while the application remains with the customer. The goal is to address the CRA requirements not on a project basis but structurally. Niederhauser put it succinctly at the SPS: "Our goal is to become Windows for machines, with special features such as high security, remote updates, and clear extensions."

Gallery

Kontron at SPS 2025: How the platform approach meets the CRA requirements.(Image: Kontron)

Gallery with 13 images

Brownfield As A Starting Point

A central topic of the press conference is how to handle existing systems. According to Kontron, millions of devices in the field today were never designed for CRA-compliant security mechanisms. A complete replacement is often neither economically nor technically realistic. Kontron is therefore relying on retrofit strategies, where existing systems are protected by pre-installed security components.

With the KontronAIShield platform, the company introduces an AI-based monitoring layer. It analyzes system behavior and network traffic, detects anomalies, and can block suspicious connections without deeply interfering with existing applications. The focus is less on traditional signatures and more on behavioral patterns.

Partnership With Congatec

The platform approach is technically complemented by the collaboration with Congatec. The module manufacturer continues to supply computer-on-modules and virtualization technology, while Kontron enhances the system with operating systems, security functions, and lifecycle management. Pre-installed, certifiable tech stacks are intended to help OEMs and system integrators save time on integration and compliance verification.

Kontron sees this as a new division of labor in the embedded and IPC market: modular hardware at the bottom, binding security and software foundation at the top. Especially under the pressure of the Cyber Resilience Act, such clearly defined responsibilities are gaining importance.

The message of the SPS press conference is thus less about a single product and more about a shift in thinking: Security becomes a question of architecture and systems, no longer a subsequent addition. (mc)

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Date: 08.12.2025

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