Global cybersecurity alliance to accelerate education, readiness

The International Society of Automation (ISA) has created an open, collaborative forum to advance cybersecurity awareness, readiness, and knowledge sharing. The ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance will assemble a global group of stakeholders from end-user companies, control system vendors, information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) infrastructure providers, system integrators, and other industry affiliates.

Industrial sectors, including manufacturing, commercial buildings, and critical infrastructure facilities, must explore new ways to better prevent, mitigate, and respond to catastrophic threats and attacks on their safety- and mission-critical assets, operations, and applications.

“Several leading automation and other technology providers have engaged ISA to explore how they can work with us to proactively increase awareness and adoption of cybersecurity best practices, standards, and compliance in all relevant sectors,” said ISA executive director Mary Ramsey. 

Among its defined objectives, the Global Cybersecurity Alliance will work to proliferate adoption of and compliance with global standards. The acceleration and expansion of standards will address technology-related gaps and set best practices for managing processes within an open architecture. The alliance will also develop certification and education programs for industry professionals; drive advocacy and thought leadership; and facilitate greater knowledge sharing among its members. Member companies will identify and prioritize initiatives, ensuring that the Alliance’s approach is multi-faceted. 

“The ICS cybersecurity threat landscape is becoming more complex, with more direct attacks on control system, IT, and OT infrastructure. Frequently backed by hostile nation-states, malevolent actors are becoming more sophisticated at targeting specific aspects of industrial control systems that have the potential to wreak havoc in the physical world, such as process safety systems,” said Larry O’Brien, vice president of research for ARC Advisory Group. “Standards and frameworks are valuable, but end users also need the resources to take the guidance provided by standards and put it into practice in real-world plant and OT environments.”

International Society of Automation (ISA)

www.isa.org

– Edited from an ISA press release by CFE Media. See more Control Engineering cybersecurity stories.

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