The ISA Security Compliance Institute recently completed a key milestone in the development of the ISASecure industrial cyber security certification program designed for suppliers, operators, government and smart-grid customers.

 

The Institute is a nonprofit organization that sets the standard for automation by helping over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve difficult technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities.

 

Mu Dynamics – a VoIP testing outfit that joined the ISASecure ECSA development effort at its inception in September 2007, and has actively supported the program through participation in ECSA test specification development and volunteer participation –  said it supported the new ISASecure Embedded Controller Security Assurance (ECSA) test specification framework.

 

“The ISCI appreciates the efforts of the ECSA team members including the technical leadership and input from Mu Dynamics (News - Alert) during the development of the ISASecure ECSA program. We look forward to the continued contributions of Mu and its customers as we expand the ISASecure program” said André Ristaino, managing director of ISCI.

 

In fact, Mu is continuing its push to have  full interoperability with and migration to ISASecure ECSA test specifications for customers participating in the Mu Secure Industrial Control program.

 

According to Thomas Maufer, Mu Dynamics’ director of Technical Marketing and ISCI liaison, customers benefit from Mu Dynamics’ incorporation of ISASecure open security test specifications, reflecting the inputs and security requirements of the broad industrial automation control system community.

 

“Mu Dynamics’ customers – and the entire industry – enthusiastically support the creation of a non-proprietary consensus-driven cyber security test specification,” said Maufer.

 

While collaborating with other ISCI contributors on the ISASecure team, Mu is working to ensure industry security assurance test specification for embedded controllers.

 

“Key audiences at critical infrastructure/industrial control systems, government and smart-grid network owner/operators and their vendors are eagerly anticipating broad adoption of the ISASecure testing regime,” said Maufer. “As industrial automation control systems and networks become increasingly IP-based and use more Commercial-Off-the-Shelf components, the need for baseline cyber security testing is a growing priority.”

 

The ISASecure program creates an actionable cyber security testing and certification blueprint for industrial automation control systems including devices such as programmable logic controllers, or PLCs, according to the organization.