ISA and Siemens partner to advance industrial cybersecurity awareness

Summary

August 30, 2017 - The International Society of Automation (ISA) announced that Siemens has formed a global partnership with ISA to improve awareness of the need for industrial cybersecurity.

The partnership, forged in response to the changing industrial security landscape and growing cyber-threats to automation networks and systems, specifically focuses on broadening understanding and adoption of industrial automation security standards.   

Both organizations will share expertise in protecting automation environments based on ISA/IEC 62443, a consensus-based series of industrial cybersecurity standards, and appropriate security measures through co-sponsored events, webinars and additional educational resources Together, ISA and Siemens intend to raise awareness and share best practices of industrial security with owner/operators of industrial equipment.

"Cyber Security needs to be addressed by industrial companies as recent global ransomware attacks have demonstrated the possible impacts in the last weeks. Our customers need to adequately manage the associated cyber risk, arising from the vulnerabilities of IT technology combined with the increased connectedness in our digital age," says Henning Rudolf, Global Head of Siemens Plant Security Services.

The ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) operates one of the first standardized assessment schemes for the ISA/IEC 62443 IACS cybersecurity standards, and this program has been heavily adopted by Siemens as a leading provider of automation equipment and industrial security services, as well as being a global manufacturing company.

"ISA is committed to providing high-quality technical resources covering all areas of cybersecurity. Within our brand family, we have the entire spectrum of cybersecurity education and advocacy covered, from the development of the world's only consensus industrial cybersecurity standard, to critical education on the topic, to compliance programs that help companies certify products and systems," said ISA Director of Marketing & Communications Jennifer Halsey. "We are proud to welcome Siemens as a Corporate Partner and look forward to working together on the creation and dissemination of relevant, timely, and interesting materials for our audience."

The first activity between Siemens and ISA will be two live webinar sessions titled "Cybersecurity for Control Systems in Process Automation" with Siemens Plant Security Services Product Solution & Security Officer (PSSO) Robert Thompson and ISA 99/IEC 62443 Committee Co-Chair Eric Cosman. Click here to register for the European session and here for the North American session.

Siemens Plant Security Services adhere to the ISA/IEC 62443 guidelines and are available for existing Siemens customers and third-party equipment, providing a multi-layer protection-level approach, asset inventory and tracking, patch and vulnerability management, network segmentation, industrial security management, incident handling and security consulting services. Siemens also provides a comprehensive Product Computer Emergency Response Team (ProductCERT) for Siemens solutions.

Siemens operates several "Cyber Security Operation Centers" (CSOC) for the production of industrial facilities, with joint locations in Lisbon, Munich and Milford (Ohio) in the USA.  Siemens industrial security specialists based at these sites monitor industrial facilities all around the world for cyber threats, warn companies in the event of security incidents and coordinate proactive countermeasures.  These protective measures are also part of Siemens extensive Plant Security Services. 

About Siemens

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry.

About ISA

The International Society of Automation is a nonprofit professional association that sets the standard for those who apply engineering and technology to improve the management, safety, and cybersecurity of modern automation and control systems used across industry and critical infrastructure. Founded in 1945, ISA develops widely used global standards; certifies industry professionals; provides education and training; publishes books and technical articles; hosts conferences and exhibits; and provides networking and career development programs for its 40,000 members and 400,000 customers around the world. 

ISA owns Automation.com, a leading online publisher of automation-related content, and is the founding sponsor of The Automation Federation, an association of non-profit organizations serving as “The Voice of Automation.” Through a wholly owned subsidiary, ISA bridges the gap between standards and their implementation with the ISA Security Compliance Institute and the ISA Wireless Compliance Institute