JUNE 2022CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM9Unifying global cybersecurity standards for connected productsAs more manufacturers and industries build and deploy IIoT devices, the security and safety of systems providing essential operations become more important and more difficult to manage. These complexities are due, in part, to a lack of a global, universally accepted cybersecurity standard and conformance assessment scheme designed to validate connected products. The idea is to make sure all the components within a power system meet the same high cybersecurity standards. The economic challenges to safeguarding IIoT ecosystems spawn from the complex manufacturing supply chain and the difficulty of assigning clear liabilities to manufacturers and system integrators for any vulnerabilities introduced. Most products and systems assemblies consist of components from different suppliers. Where should the element of trust begin and end if there is no global conformity assessment scheme to ensure that products and systems are designed to be compliant with the global standards defined by the industry?There are currently a multitude of different standards and regulations created by various organizations, countries and regional alliances across the globe. All of these standards and regulations address the urgent need to secure our connected world, however they also create the potential for confusion and possibility of weak links in critical infrastructure ecosystems. The electrical industry needs a singular path to follow when it comes to designing and developing connected solutions. Having product development processes certified by a third-party gives customers confidence that their solutions are compliant with the highest-cybersecurity requirements before they ever leave the factory floor. This isn't a journey we want to embark on alone. Electrical infrastructure is an ecosystem that is often built upon a foundation of equipment from many different manufacturers. Customers need confidence that each company is delivering technologies that are compliant with industry standards. Establishing global standards for cybersecurity is a collective effort. For example, we're working with renowned standards leaders like UL, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Society of Automation (ISA) Global Cybersecurity Alliance to drive a global conformance assessment standard to cybersecurity within our industry. We've also partnered with universities and research institutions to strengthen cybersecurity education and train the next generation of engineers to develop new security strategies for connected products.The inherent challenge of managing cybersecurity risk is a continuous journey with constantly evolving complexities, threat scenarios and technologies. This is why we also became a member of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, an international industry-led working group of more than 145 technology and security companies that promote a safer online world by fostering collaboration and committing to protect their customers against security threats.As a member of the Tech Accord, we plan to share our industry insights and cybersecurity best practices while continuing to innovate how we can reduce risk for our customers. The Cybersecurity Tech Accord's focused effort to protect and empower people to improve security fundamentally aligns with our approach to cybersecurity. Global effort targets secure online environmentsCybersecurity is a critical capability for supporting our hyper-connected and digital future. Today, cyberattacks are more frequent, sophisticated and autonomous than ever before. At Eaton, we have enterprise-wide capabilities. Our people, tools, processes and platforms are a differentiator. And we're continuing to actively work with leading global organizations to advance cybersecure environments.Recently, we expanded our partner ecosystem for cybersecurity to include Tenable. Together, we are helping customers determine potential vulnerabilities to mitigate cybersecurity threats in converged IT/OT environments. Ransomware attacks have underlined the global importance of cybersecurity and the role of government, industry and community in building a peaceful and stable online world. Through collaboration with industry leaders, we're supporting this effort while demonstrating our commitment to strengthening cybersecurity and sharing the best practices we've developed on how to act securely and safely online. This isn't a journey we want to embark on alone. Electrical infrastructure is an ecosystem that is often built upon a foundation of equipment from many different manufacturers
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