ISA Hosts Multi-track Cybersecurity Standards Implementation Virtual Conference

Summary

Oct. 19, 2021 - The International Society of Automation (ISA) presented the two-track Cybersecurity Standards Implementation Conference (CSIC) virtually on the 19^th of October, which is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month encourages both individuals and businesses to embrace accountability for protecting their part of cyberspace. The CSIC event featured industrial cybersecurity specialists and other speakers hailing from Pfizer, NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence, U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Forest Service to address operational technology (OT) cybersecurity issues.

CSIC offered strategies for mitigating organizational threats and vulnerabilities through the use of ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards. ISA/IEC 62443, endorsed by the United Nations and globally recognized, takes the stage as the world’s first and only consensus-based series of industrial cybersecurity standards. The ISA99 committee developed the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards to provide a flexible framework to address and mitigate current and future security vulnerabilities in industrial automation and control systems (IACSs).

A two-track cybersecurity event

This second annual Cybersecurity Standards Implementation Conference featured two tracks for the first time ever. Track 1 kicked off with a keynote from Associate Laboratory Director Zach Tudor, National & Homeland Security, whose presentation was called “Action Plan for ICS Competencies.” In his closing remarks, he offered a few key steps to move forward in OT environments: “We have to make sure everyone realizes that industrial cybersecurity is different. . . . Collaboration is key; none of us is as smart as all of us. . . . We have to make standard curricular materials widely available.”

Track 2 began a little earlier, at 9 a.m., giving attendees the chance to peek at at it before the two tracks started running simultaneously. Track 2 introduced listeners to six panelists, including ICS Cybersecurity Advisor’s Johan Nye and OIT Concepts’ Eric Cosman, who participated in the 62443 Standards Update Panel Discussion.

Attendees who chose Track 1 heard about Pfizer’s plant floor cybersecurity journey, observed a supply chain risk management panel featuring ISA President Steve Mustard, and learned about applying ISO/IEC 27001/2 and the ISA/IEC 62443 series in OT environments from Pierre Kobes of Siemens AG, among other great sessions. Track 2 listeners heard an ISA security update from Andre Ristaino, learned from Verve CEO John Livingston, and saw several technology demonstrations and trainings. A full list of all presenters can be found on the event’s website.

Watch the other sessions

Since this multi-faceted event offered many choices, registered attendees were encouraged to come later and view what they missed in the following 30 days. Through November 19^th, anyone who missed the event can register and watch the recordings free of charge.  A related event, the Cybersecurity Standards Implementation Virtual Conference - Middle East, is scheduled to debut December 7^th  at 8:00 - 14:00 GMT +3. Information and registration links for all upcoming ISA virtual conferences and related webinars can be found here.