- By Steven Aliano
- August 24, 2022
- InTech Magazine
- News
Summary
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), global equipment suppliers, and other stakeholders announced the establishment of the Electric Energy OT Security Profile working group hosted by the ISA99 standards committee. This piece originally appeared in InTech magazine's August issue, a special edition from ISA's Smart Manufacturing and IIoT Division.
The ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards is designated as a horizontal standard, applicable to many industry sectors and applications. Industry groups use the ISA/IEC 62443 standard series as the basis for securing industrial control systems. DOE’s Securing Energy Infrastructure Executive Task Force (SEI ETF) evaluated available industry standards and recommended the electric energy operational technology (OT) applications be formalized as ISA/IEC 62443-5 security profile applications—gaining international energy sector consensus on applying ISA/IEC 62443 to electric energy OT applications.
The working group is seeking participation from industry groups, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE), and other industry stakeholders, to ensure consideration of and alignment with other cybersecurity work product development efforts. The initiative will use the DOE SEI ETF’s Reference Architecture and Profiles for Electric Energy OT as a foundation.
“The Securing Energy Infrastructure Executive Task Force developed an OT-specific reference architecture for electricity systems to provide a common language for control system environments that can be used to design and assess security applications,” said Puesh Kumar, director, DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). “The ISA working group represents an opportunity to validate these profiles and put them into practice for the energy industry. CESER is excited to see energy sector stakeholders carrying forward the task force’s reference architecture work."
Eric Cosman, co-chair of the ISA99 Standards Committee, noted that, “Global standards and supporting specifications provide efficiencies for end users, product suppliers, and system integrators that design, deliver, and support products and systems all around the world. One specification and one globally recognized certification provides needed transparency and reduces the regulatory burden on manufacturers.”
Companies and individuals interested in participating in the Electric Energy OT Security Profile working group should contact Eliana Brazda to be added to the roster.
This piece originally appeared in InTech magazine's August issue, a special edition from ISA's Smart Manufacturing and IIoT Division.
About The Author
Steven Aliano is a content marketing specialist for the International Society of Automation (ISA).
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