Kuka secures robotic automation with industry-first Level 2 certification

In July 2026, the industrial automation landscape crossed a long-awaited threshold. KUKA has officially become the first robotics manufacturer globally to achieve Security Level 2 certification in accordance with the stringent IEC 62443-4-2 standard. This milestone, achieved through its new iiQKA.OS2 operating system and the KR C5 controller platform, establishes a much-needed baseline for secure, network-connected production environments.

For the paper, corrugated board, and packaging industries, this development arrives at a critical juncture. Modern converting plants and paper mills are no longer just mechanical operations; they are highly connected ecosystems relying heavily on data exchange, where every robotic arm acts as an information node.

The cyber reality of modern packaging lines

As packaging facilities embrace digitalization to improve efficiency, traceability, and output, the attack surface for cyber threats expands. End-of-line palletizing robots, automated guided vehicles handling paper rolls, and robotic arms feeding corrugated board into die-cutters are constantly communicating with plant servers. Until now, physical robotics often represented a vulnerability in self-hosted IT environments.

KUKA’s achievement directly addresses this gap. Earning Security Level 2 means the system has proven defenses against cyberattacks utilizing basic skills and low resources, ensuring controlled access, secure communications, and data integrity. It shifts the burden of security from external firewalls directly to the endpoints—the robots themselves.

Compliance meets physical safety

The implications of this certification extend beyond data protection. By integrating security into the iiQKA.OS2 system, KUKA simultaneously meets the requirements of the European Union's Regulation 2024/2847 Cyber Resilience. For multinational packaging corporations operating within Europe, deploying compliant machinery is no longer optional but a regulatory mandate.

Furthermore, the new KUKA systems fully comply with the EN ISO 10218-1:2025 standard for robot safety. In heavy-duty industries like corrugated manufacturing, functional safety features must be completely unhackable. KUKA guarantees this protection for critical operations, including:

• Normal Stop and emergency braking sequences.
• Restart Interlocks after maintenance on the converting line.
• Continuous axis monitoring to prevent unexpected movements.

A compromised robotic controller could result in severe physical accidents or catastrophic downtime. By interlocking cyber resilience with functional safety, KUKA is eliminating the risk of network intrusions translating into physical hazards.

Building resilience in the supply chain

Downtime in a modern packaging plant is notoriously expensive. A cyber incident that halts an automated palletizing line can quickly cause a bottleneck, forcing the entire corrugator and converting operation to stop. By securing the robotic nodes, plant managers can safeguard their production flow and ensure reliable deliveries to retail and e-commerce partners.

The industry is moving toward fully connected supply chains where machinery data is shared with predictive maintenance algorithms and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. KUKA’s leadership in securing this data flow ensures that intellectual property, production volumes, and customer information remain protected, even when the automation is hosted entirely on-premises by the manufacturer.

Cybersecurity is rapidly becoming the invisible armor of the global packaging and paper industry, and KUKA’s Level 2 certification proves that hardware manufacturers are finally taking endpoint protection as seriously as mechanical speed. As factories become smarter, will your current robotic fleet withstand the network threats of tomorrow, or is it the weak link in your production chain? Follow The Paper for daily news, market signals and key updates from the global paper, corrugated and packaging industry. — Sigue toda la actualidad del sector en www.thepaper.ai