SAVANNAH, Ga. -- In the interests of thwarting cyberattacks oncritical infrastructure such as energy, water and manufacturing,the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is quietly reaching outto other governments around the world to find what problems mayexist elsewhere and what research can be shared to improveindustrial control systems (ICS). Security of industrial control systems questioned at DHS conference In a closed-door meeting today following a conference , ICS-CERT, the DHS division that investigates cyberattacks againstICS that control critical water and electricity supply, convenedwith representatives from other nations with similar concerns. Theevent, called "ICSJWG 2012 International Partners Day," is part ofan effort to share information and ideas behind closed doors oncybersecurity planning going on around the world to prevent andrespond to any attacks against ICS and Supervisory Control and DataAcquisition (SCADA) networks that everywhere are used to controlgas and oil pipelines, public water supplies, manufacturingprocesses, electricity production, and more, such as elevators and boiler systems . The goal of the meeting, according to one high-level officialinvolved, is to provide a forum to discuss problems and to alignvarious control-systems cybersecurity initiatives around the globe,if possible. Hot Filling Machine
In addition, it may be possible to "divide up somechallenges," such as coordinating research and training. Today'smeeting wasn't the first of its kind, but part of an ongoingeffort. The participants included representatives from Japan, Israel and Europe , among others. Scheduled cybersecurity briefings included one fromthe IT security policy director from the Japan Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry, Commerce and Information Policy. China 5 Gallon Water Filling Machine
The EuropeanCommission's Information Society and Media Directorate-General,Network and Information Security Unit, Deputy Head of the Internet,was also on tap to discuss cybersecurity. A briefing on theEuropean SCADA and Control Systems Information Exchange wasscheduled as well. In addition to U.S. officials from ICS-CERT, arepresentative from the Electricity Sector Information Sharing andAnalysis Center were tapped to present the U.S. PET Bottle Blowing Machine
perspective. Cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure are seen to be on therise, with ISC-CERT just this week taking the somewhat unusual stepof issuing an alert about ongoing cyberattacks on the gas pipeline industry and publicly discussing the situation during the ICSJWG 2012Spring Conference. The ICSJWG conference included process-controlspecialists from utilities and manufacturing, ICS vendors,consultants and DHS officials in a program that allowed for candidviews and ardent debate on security issues in today's ICS. Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publicationand website, where she covers news and technology trends related toinformation security.
Read more about wide area network in Network World's Wide Area Network section.
In addition, it may be possible to "divide up somechallenges," such as coordinating research and training. Today'smeeting wasn't the first of its kind, but part of an ongoingeffort. The participants included representatives from Japan, Israel and Europe , among others. Scheduled cybersecurity briefings included one fromthe IT security policy director from the Japan Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry, Commerce and Information Policy. China 5 Gallon Water Filling Machine
The EuropeanCommission's Information Society and Media Directorate-General,Network and Information Security Unit, Deputy Head of the Internet,was also on tap to discuss cybersecurity. A briefing on theEuropean SCADA and Control Systems Information Exchange wasscheduled as well. In addition to U.S. officials from ICS-CERT, arepresentative from the Electricity Sector Information Sharing andAnalysis Center were tapped to present the U.S. PET Bottle Blowing Machine
perspective. Cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure are seen to be on therise, with ISC-CERT just this week taking the somewhat unusual stepof issuing an alert about ongoing cyberattacks on the gas pipeline industry and publicly discussing the situation during the ICSJWG 2012Spring Conference. The ICSJWG conference included process-controlspecialists from utilities and manufacturing, ICS vendors,consultants and DHS officials in a program that allowed for candidviews and ardent debate on security issues in today's ICS. Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publicationand website, where she covers news and technology trends related toinformation security.
Read more about wide area network in Network World's Wide Area Network section.