The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the International Society of Automation (IA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to boost standards for critical infrastructure cybersecurity.

The MOU will promote cybersecurity standards and practices for operation technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS), specifically the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards, which offers practicable guidance and resources to protect critical infrastructure and the supply chain. The partnership will strive to boost policies that reference this series of standards in the establishment of codes, incentives, and mandates for cybersecurity OT/ICS automation systems.

“NEMA and ISA realize the urgent need to promote the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards,” said Patrick Hughes, senior vice president, technical and industry affairs, NEMA. “This MOU will bring greater recognition of and reliance upon these critical OT cybersecurity standards that have been developed by ISA, the leading professional society for automation.” 

“We are excited about this partnership with NEMA, which will allow the reach and awareness of ISA/IEC 62443 that ISA has already achieved to grow even further,” said Andre Ristaino, managing director, global consortia and conformity assessment, ISA. “NEMA’s commitment to supply chain resilience and expertise in outreach and advocacy makes the organization an excellent partner for ISA.”

Read more: Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Boosted by NEMA and ISA Partnership