Schneider Electric is founding member of ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance

The International Society of Automation created the Global Cybersecurity Alliance to advance cybersecurity readiness and awareness in worldwide manufacturing and critical infrastructure facilities and processes. Bringing together end-user companies, technology and systems vendors, IT infrastructure vendors, services providers, system integrators and other organizations, the Alliance will proactively address growing and emerging cyber threats.

“Our goal is always to help our customers maximize their profitability, safely, efficiently and reliably. That means doing all we can to protect them from cyber-harm,” said Nathalie Marcotte, senior vice president, Industrial Automation Services, Schneider Electric.

“The Global Cybersecurity Alliance is a great fit for us because of its international scope and open appeal. Participating as a Founding Member will strengthen our collective ability to detect, prevent and respond to cyber threats, while further helping our customers in every sector better secure their assets and operations and improve business performance. We are confident the Alliance will expand our ability to deliver value to all our customers, regardless of industry, segment or region.”

“As industry confronts escalating, innovative and dangerous cyber-attacks, every organization interested in securing our global infrastructure should collaborate to improve how end-users defend themselves,” said Mary Ramsey, executive director of ISA. “We are pleased Schneider Electric joined as our first Founding Member. They and all our Founding Members have the commitment and ambition to enable safe and secure operations. We look forward to working with organizations of all kinds to drive needed change.”

Led by its members, who will establish its priorities, the Global Cybersecurity Alliance will advance the development of new standards-based defensive strategies that ensure people, processes and technology are cyber-ready and better protected. Its objectives include:

• Sharing knowledge and information in an open environment;
• Expanding advocacy and outreach to governments, regulatory agencies and stakeholder organizations around the world;
• Accelerating standards development and adoption;
• Extending the ISA 62443 series of standards to relevant markets and help specific industry verticals apply the standards;
• Providing best practice tools to help companies navigate the entire lifecycle of cybersecurity protection.

“For some time now, Schneider Electric has been encouraging everyone associated with industry to take part in open conversations and to establish new approaches that will improve how global infrastructure responds to highest-level cyber threats,” said Marcotte. “We are pleased the ISA has answered the call, and we look forward to working openly and collaboratively with them, our fellow Founding Members and many others affiliated with global industry to better secure and protect the world’s most critical operations.”

ISA is the developer of the ANSI/ISA 62443 series of automation and control systems cybersecurity standards, which have been adopted by the International Electrotechnical Commission as IEC 62443 and endorsed by the United Nations. The standards define requirements and procedures for implementing electronically secure automation and control systems and security practices and for assessing electronic security performance.

Multiple industry leaders, including Claroty, Nozomi, Johnson Controls, Rockwell Automation and Honeywell, have also joined the Alliance as Founding Members.