Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition (OTCC) and the International Society of Automation (ISA) joined forces to collaborate in an effort to help strengthen OT cybersecurity across critical infrastructure.
OTCC is a coalition working to improve operational technology (OT) cybersecurity through open, vendor-neutral collaboration. ISA is a professional society for automation in the manufacturing sector.
The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on initiatives that raise awareness of OT cybersecurity risks and solutions. They are also looking to explore strategic issues of shared interest and facilitate technical engagement between members of each organization.
The goal is to encourage better implementation and recognition of foundational cybersecurity standards like ISA/IEC 62443. That is the globally recognized consensus-based series of OT cybersecurity standards developed by ISA.
“Protecting critical infrastructure requires sustained collaboration, practical guidance and a shared commitment to standards-based cybersecurity,” said Claire Fallon, chief executive of ISA. “This partnership creates an important framework for ISA and OTCC to help advance key OT cybersecurity practices.”
Merging of Perspectives
“ISA and OTCC come at OT cybersecurity from different angles – ISA through the standards that define good practice, OTCC through the companies putting them to work,” said Tatyana Bolton, executive director of OTCC. “Bringing those perspectives together is how standards move from paper into practice, and we look forward to working with ISA to make that happen.”
OTCC published a position paper advocating for a single standard for OT cybersecurity rather than a patchwork of sector-specific mandates.
The paper recommends ISA/IEC 62443 should end up recognized as the global OT security standard. It names ISA/IEC 62443 as an established framework uniquely situated to harmonize around. Furthermore, this standard, the paper said, has been specifically tailored to meet the requirements of OT.
With one interoperable OT cybersecurity standard, it would be possible to ease the burden of adhering to duplicative standards. This way it would be possible to help ensure critical infrastructure and industrial operations stay resilient.