The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International announced the opening of its Cybersecurity Working Group to global manufacturers/producers and solution providers.

According to MESA, the purpose of the working group is to clarify some of the technology-related information businesses must deal with today while providing practical and useful guidance, specifically as it pertains to manufacturing or production-related operations. This group expects to provide consistent messaging in cybersecurity-related topics internally and externally, interacting with other industry organizations to drive common understanding for all. 

Potential topics for the working group include:

•             Compare and contrast manufacturing system security with IT security.

•             Roadmap or guidelines for managing cybersecurity programs in manufacturing.

•             Case studies of past manufacturing cybersecurity incidents.

•             Convergence of IT equipment in the manufacturing dynamic.

•             A summary of the current state of the ICS cybersecurity industry.

“There is a tremendous amount of disparate information on cybersecurity, and our goal at MESA is to identify high-priority, manufacturing-centric concerns then bring clarity to related practices,” said Eric Cosman, co-chairman of the group with John Poffenbarger.

“Though there is in general a rising awareness, there too exists an escalation in the threat landscape," Poffenbarger said. "Our challenge is to consolidate these dynamics into a focused set of principles that offer measurable value the community has come to expect from MESA International.”

MESA is looking for additional contributors to help evaluate, steer, and drive selected opportunities. Priority consideration will go to subjects that can offer unique contributions. To apply visit the working group page:  http://www.mesa.org/en/committeeactivities/cybersecuritywg.asp.