NEMA, ISA Join Forces on Building Cybersecurity

During a recent Industrial Control Systems Joint Working Group meeting, representatives from the Department of Defense, International Society of Automation (ISA), and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) outlined a new program to address the risk of unprotected and under-protected building control systems in the U.S. and abroad. The working group has spent several months developing a proposed program in preparation for a roll-out to a wider audience of industry peers.

The national program will incentivize the use of existing standards for cybersecurity in building control systems. It aims to create easy-to-understand tiers for end-users, while helping building owners protect building automation systems, and providing a means for insurers and other stakeholders to offer incentives for buildings to incorporate safer and more secure systems and processes. The working group plans to open the frame document to additional stakeholders’ input, with a potential launch date later this year.