Industrial control systems and IT systems differ in subtle yet important ways. For example, effective cybersecurity for industrial control systems (ICS) must address a range of complex concerns in the physical world—in addition to the cyber threats that IT systems face. In the event of a cyberattack, ICS risk dire consequences, including public endangerment; damage to equipment, products, or the environment; and even loss of life.
The world grows more and more connected every day, and these technologies must grow more and more secure. Establishing standards in this specialized branch of cybersecurity must be a collective concern for the entire automation industry.
The ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards are the world's only consensus-based automation cybersecurity standards. One goal of the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA) is to encourage their wide adoption.
The ISAGCA's most recent work product, called "Quick Start Guide: An Overview of the ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards," provides a high-level view of the objectives and benefits of these standards—as well as easy-to-use explainers on how to navigate them. The ISAGCA Advocacy and Adoption work group coordinated the development of this guide, which was authored by Johan Nye. Nye is an independent consultant with more than 38 years of experience who specializes in industrial control systems and cybersecurity.
In concert with the guide's release, Nye hosted a webinar recently on the ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards. In the recording below, learn the ins and outs of the series, as well as their applications for different roles within the security environment.
If you learn better by reading, or if you'd like something more permanent to refer back to, you can also download the Quick Start Guide as a .pdf file. Request your copy of the guide at www.isa.org/cyberguide.