ISA helps facilitate cybersecurity training at Cyber Shield 2018

Summary

May 24, 2018 — For the third year in a row, the International Society of Automation (ISA) provided operational technology (OT) training and on-site technical assistance in support of the US National Guard’s national cyber-operations exercise, Cyber Shield.

Cyber Shield is designed to train National Guard members on cyber protection, network defense, forensic analysis, tactics, techniques and procedures defense against cyberattacks, hackers and other malign actors.

This year’s Cyber Shield 2018, held 6-18 May at Camp Atterbury in Indiana, brought together more than 800 participants—including members of the National Guard from 40 US states and territories, the Army Reserve, federal and state government agencies, industry partners and academia—to test their collective skills and evaluate their defensive capabilities in response to cyber warfare.

Cyber Shield 2018 incorporated two phases: the first week focused on military, government and private sector training on vital cyber skills. The second week challenged National Guard soldiers and airmen to face off against trained online adversaries, and use their training and skills to defend networks and mitigate the effects of attacks against vulnerable infrastructure. 

Given their protective capabilities, the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards are key components of The Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (updated April 2018), a how-to guide developed through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help strengthen America’s cyber defenses.

ISA was actively involved in supporting Cyber Shield 2018 during both phases of the exercise. During the first week, ISA instructors taught two ISA industrial cybersecurity courses: IACS Cybersecurity Design & Implementation (IC34) and IACS Cybersecurity Operations & Maintenance (IC37). This photo, taken during the instruction of IC37, shows National Guard members and other partners working in an incident response lab during Cyber Shield 2018.

During the second week of the exercise, when cyber-operations teams tested their mettle against cyberattack, ISA provided on-site technical support. National Guard cyber-defense teams utilized ISA’s Cyber Trainers, which serve as “micro-factories”—small-scale versions of actual industrial automation and control systems. Each micro-factory is configured to run three different critical infrastructure simulations: water/wastewater, natural gas pipeline, and power grid.

Not only do Cyber Trainers simulate the actual processes and communications protocols used in industrial OT, they provide users with hands-on, working knowledge of the ISA/IEC 62443 standards and how they protect industrial control systems and networks.

As the umbrella and outreach association of ISA, the Automation Federation has been collaborating with NIST and other federal and state entities for years to raise awareness of the growing risk of industrial cyberattack and the need to implement ISA/IEC 62443 security standards.

Marty Edwards, Managing Director of the Automation Federation, was asked by the National Guard to deliver remarks during Distinguished Visitors Day at the closing of Cyber Shield 2018.

Edwards, who previously led an operational division of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), emphasized that ISA and the Automation Federation are proud to continue their alliance with the National Guard on such a vitally important effort.

About ISA The International Society of Automationis 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 Instituteand the ISA Wireless Compliance Institute