ISA’s Cyber Security Standards Initiative gathers strength

ISA’s SP99 committee, Manufacturing and Control Systems Security, is strengthening its efforts on several fronts with the help of experts from leading companies across industry. Following the publication in 2004 of two well-received technical reports providing guidelines on cyber security in manufacturing operations, ISA-SP99 is hard at work in developing the first of a series of industry standards on this vital topic. Key roles and support are being provided by committee members from organizations including ABB, Aspen Technology, Bayer, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Cargill, Cisco Systems, CIDX, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Eastman Chemical, Emerson Process Management, Equistar Chemical, Fluor, Honeywell, Interface Technologies, Invensys,  Kraft Foods, KEMA,  Microsoft Corp., Procter & Gamble, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Yokogawa, and many others in the US and abroad. Also playing important roles are the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, the US Department of Homeland Security, Idaho National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory.Reflecting on his company’s support of ISA and its cyber security standards initiative, Don Richardson, Director, Manufacturing Industry Unit at Microsoft Corporation, comments:“Users can help mitigate security risks through active participation in standards development, implementing a comprehensive security plan, and embracing industry accepted security best practices. ISA is a leader in manufacturing and control systems standards development and training, and its recent merger with the Open Modular Architecture Controls Users' Group (OMAC) reinforces their mission to accelerate the development and application of automation technologies. Microsoft is proud to play a continuing role in ISA's efforts and in the OMAC MS Manufacturing Users Group.”