Building a Resilient World:
The ISAGCA Blog

Welcome to the official blog of the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA).

This blog covers topics on automation cybersecurity such as risk assessment, compliance, educational resources, and how to leverage the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards.

The material and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. ISAGCA blog posts may be authored by ISA staff and guest authors from the cybersecurity community. Views and opinions expressed by a guest author are solely their own, and do not necessarily represent those of ISA. Posts made by guest authors have been subject to peer review.

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Cybersecurity Perspectives: Education for an Evolving, Digital World

Digitalization is impacting nearly every industry—creating systems that are more connected and potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks than ever before. As our critical environments evolve to harness the benefits of modern intelligence, cybersecurity and education are critical enablers to create more trusted, secure connections, even as digitalization exposes new vulnerabilities. 

A system is only as secure as its weakest link. Today, cyberattacks are becoming more frequent, sophisticated, and autonomous with the potential to impact nearly every aspect of a business. This makes cybersecurity everyone’s responsibility, and makes education and training essential to keep up. The latest Eaton Cybersecurity Perspectives education program provides an in-depth focus on how to secure digital transformation across many new educational sessions. 

3 Reasons Why Cybersecurity Education Must Be Prioritized 

  1. Energy systems are changing and becoming more complex. With the increase in renewable and distributed energy resources (DERs), there’s a new power paradigm. Whereas power used to flow in one direction from where it was generated to where it was consumed, now it needs to flow bidirectionally between DERs, introducing new potential vulnerabilities.
  2. Organizations are working to achieve digital transformation and sustainability goals. New digital tools are essential to better manage and accelerate change and require secure connections.
  3. The regulatory environment, codes, and standards constantly change. Keeping up is a must. No matter if you’re experienced, new to the industry, or somewhere in between, keeping up with industry standards and regulations is a continuous journey.

CPThe Cybersecurity Perspectives Program Addresses Digital Transformation 

In time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the annual Cybersecurity Perspectives event is designed to help build a foundation of security and safety in an increasingly connected world. Sessions include: 

  • Executive insights: Eaton’s Michael Regelski, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for its Electric Sector, zeroes in on the opportunities and challenges to creating trusted connected environments.
  • Fireside chat: Michael Regelski and Microsoft’s Shane Benting, Senior Security Architect, discuss the importance of cybersecurity for digital transformation.
  • Expert-led panel sessions, including:
    • The role of cybersecurity in the energy transition: As organizations embrace the shift to renewables, energy storage and distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), it’s vital to protect critical power environments from new threats and vulnerabilities. This session includes experts from Microsoft and Duke Energy.
    • Securing internet of things (IoT) solutions: Protecting assets, data, and privacy with an IoT ecosystem is critical to building trust in digitalized environments. You can dive deeper into the three essential elements of IoT cybersecurity—hardware, software, and connectivity—during this session. Featured guests participating in this session include Xcel Energy and Lear Corporation.
    • Understanding the regulatory landscape: Critical infrastructure and industrial manufacturers are adapting to an ever-changing regulatory environment. Get up to speed on the latest industry-specific cyber regulations, insurance markets, and contractual negotiations during this session, including experts from Baker McKenzie, Herbert Smith Freehills, Kilpatrick Townsend, and Aon.
    • The importance of codes and standards in the product and cybersecurity lifecycle: For critical infrastructure to be secure, cybersecurity needs to be woven into an organization’s culture. You can explore the impact of codes and standards throughout a product’s lifecycle and understand why built-in cybersecurity is critical with featured guests from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Cisco, and UL. 

Get the cybersecurity education and training you need, when you need it. Watch the latest Cybersecurity Perspectives virtual program in an on-demand virtual learning environment.

Max Wandera
Max Wandera
Max Wandera, CISSP, GSLC, is Director of the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence at Eaton. Max provides leadership and oversight in the strategic planning, development, and assessment of Eaton products for cybersecurity. He is responsible for Eaton's Secure Product Development Lifecycle policy and compliance, including the research, design, development and implementation of security technologies for products, systems and software applications. His role works cross-functionally with corporate officers, business and functional leaders. Max acts as the voice of Eaton on product cybersecurity matters, interfacing with various government entities, customers, industry forums and other industrial control security organizations.

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