Five cybersecurity companies have joined forces to create a group that is aiming to bolster the defences of industrial control systems and critical infrastructure in the US.
According to Security Week, the Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition was founded by industrial giant Honeywell as well as Forescout, Nozomi Networks, Tenable and Claroty.
The coalition will work alongside industry and government to create ‘vendor-neutral, standards-based’ cybersecurity solutions. The group said that proprietary solutions should be avoided and a tech-neutral approach is needed to ensure interoperability, which it claims ‘will encourage critical infrastructure owners and operators to choose the solutions that work best for them’.
The group will advocate for the government to maintain a neutrality posture when it comes to technology, while also incentivising the development of a larger community of cybersecurity vendors.
On the coalition’s website, it added that it will offer expertise to the government and critical infrastructure owners and operators on standards, best practices and policy impact. It aims also to become a ‘trusted advisor to policymakers’ providing feedback on proposals and pushing forward its own ideas.
Forescout threat defence VP Shawn Taylor said, “Our combined customer base represents the largest and most impactful organizations in critical infrastructure. We have the potential to collect asset information, vulnerability data, threats and security incidents, and risk status to provide real time insight and data to help support the US government, asset owners and operators as part of our collective defence mission.”
Tenable VP of operational technology security Marty Edwards added, “Our companies represent the entire OT lifecycle, and can be leveraged strategically by the U.S. Government in an advisory capacity and by critical infrastructure operators to protect themselves and improve our national preparedness.”
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