The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced June 10 the creation of an “open, collaborative forum to advance cybersecurity awareness, readiness, and knowledge sharing.”
The ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance will bring together a wide group of stakeholders, including end-user companies, control system vendors, IT and OT infrastructure providers, and system integrators, as well as others involved in the industry. ISA said that sectors such as manufacturing, commercial buildings, and critical infrastructure facilities “need to explore new ways to better prevent, mitigate, and respond to catastrophic threats and attacks on their safety- and mission-critical assets, operations, and applications” and that the Alliance will help them do so.
“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. “As an independent non-profit organization dedicated to improving operational excellence, ISA is uniquely able to fulfill the need for open, collaborative discussions and knowledge sharing.”
The Global Cybersecurity Alliance also announced some of its key objectives. The Alliance will work to:
- Proliferate adoption of and compliance with global standards;
- Develop certification and education programs for industry professionals;
- Drive advocacy and thought leadership; and
- Facilitate new levels of knowledge sharing among its members.
ISA said it plans to announce initial members of the Alliance in the next few weeks, saying it was currently “in advanced conversations with several multi-national companies.” It also noted that annual contributions to fund Alliance initiatives will be based on company revenues and will be tax-deductible.
