Chemical industry merges cybersecurity efforts

By Staff -- Control Engineering, 11/1/2005

Arlington, VA—Two chemical-industry cybersecurity groups agreed to merge their efforts into one organization- The move to consolidate initiatives, expected to be complete by Jan. 1, 2006, follows two years of cooperation between the Chemical Sector Cybersecurity Program (CSCP) and the Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX).

CIDX's board of directors voted recently to consolidate the CIDX Cybersecurity Initiative into the CSCP. The new organization, which will continue as the CSCP, addresses issues related to the industry's cybersecurity implementation, advocacy, and outreach.

According to CSCP Director Christine Adams, bringing together the two initiatives will help the new organization respond more effectively to emerging sector needs as it focuses on generating widespread adoption of cybersecurity practices and tools. For more than two years, members of CIDX and CSCP have enjoyed working closely together to help the industry improve its cybersecurity performance, said Adams. Between CSCP's effort to "increase cybersecurity awareness and preparedness and CIDX's work to deliver guidance and tools to the sector, we have made great strides. The time has come to bring these two efforts together as we carry out our next phase of action: sector-wide implementation," she observed.

CSCP will focus on its work with industry trade associations to drive adoption of cybersecurity guidance and tools within member companies. CIDX will continue its separate role as a standards organization for the chemical sector.