Patent attributes
An industrial device is configured to implement a lightweight file authentication sequence that rapidly verifies the integrity of mobile code supplied to the industrial device. The industrial device generates a file authentication code (FAC), which is stored on the industrial device and only made accessible to users via a local connection to the industrial device. The device-specific file FAC is installed on the program development application used to develop or edit the mobile code to be executed on the industrial device. The development application provides the mobile code to the industrial device together with a hash-based message authentication code (HMAC) generated using a retrieved copy of the FAC. The industrial device only permits execution of the mobile code if the HMAC included with the mobile code matches a locally created HMAC generated by the industrial device based on the mobile code and the device's local copy of the FAC.