SAN FRANCISCO & MANCHESTER, England - AussieJournal -- NCC Group, the global cyber security and risk mitigation expert, today announced that it has joined a new alliance to provide a technical and organizational framework for safe and secure operational technology (OT). The Operational Technology Cyber Security Alliance (OTCSA) aims to bridge dangerous gaps in security for OT and critical infrastructures and industrial control systems (ICS), and consequently to support consumer and business activities in an environment that is constantly evolving. NCC Group joins industry leaders ABB, Check Point Software, BlackBerry Cylance, Forescout, Fortinet, Microsoft, Mocana, Qualys, SCADAFence, Splunk and Wärtsilä to establish the OTCSA.

"NCC Group has always been dedicated to protecting all networks, and as a security specialist with operations around the world, we are very aware of how critical infrastructures and industrial control systems are essential to the global economy," said SVP Kevin Dunn at NCC Group. "We constantly evaluate the security posture of operational technology in different installations, and we see how it is often far behind other IT systems. We look forward to working with our new partners in OTCSA to help ensure that security is integrated as an operational priority from inception in every project, and develop guidelines that can have a positive effect throughout these vital industries."

The need to strengthen security networks in this market is undeniable: Even a small compromise can affect infrastructures in oil & gas, utilities, transportation and telecommunications. Moreover, 60% of organizations using ICS have indicated that they experienced a breach in their systems in the past year, while 97% acknowledge security issues because of the convergence of IT and OT¹.

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The OTCSA intends to meet these challenges with a five-fold mission:

• Strengthen the cyber-physical risk posture of OT environments and interfaces for OT/IT interconnectivity
• Guide OT operators on ways to protect their OT infrastructures through risk management processes and reference architectures/designs that are demonstrably compliant with regulations and international standards such as IEC 62443
• Guide OT suppliers on secure OT system architectures, relevant interfaces and security functionalities
• Support the procurement, development, installation, operation, maintenance and implementation of a safer and more secure critical infrastructure
• Accelerate the time to adoption of safer, more secure critical infrastructures

Until now, there has been no industry group focused on improving cyber risk posture by providing tangible architectural, implementation and process guidelines to OT operators and solution providers so that they can navigate necessary changes, upgrades and integrations to evolving industry standards and regulations. These robust security guidelines will cover the entire lifecycle—procurement, development, deployment, installation, operation, maintenance and decommission—and address aspects related to people, process and technology.

OTCSA promotes collaboration amongst IT and OT operators and leading companies in the industry. Membership is open to any company that operates critical infrastructure or general OT systems to run its business (OT operators) as well as companies providing IT and OT solutions (solution providers).

To learn more about the OTCSA or becoming a member, visit: www.otcsalliance.org.

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To learn more about how NCC Group can help with your cyber security needs, contact us at 1-800-813-3523 or uscons-info@nccgroup.com.

Operational Technology Cyber Security Alliance (OTCSA) is a group of global industry-leading organizations focused on providing operational technology (OT) operators with resources and guidance to mitigate their cyber risk in an evolving world. Founded in 2019, OTCSA is the first group of its kind to architect a technical and organizational framework – the who, what and how – for safe and secure OT. Membership is open to all OT operators and solution providers. Current members include ABB, Check Point Software, BlackBerry Cylance, Forescout, Fortinet, Microsoft, Mocana, NCC Group, Qualys, SCADAFence, Splunk and Wärtsilä.

About NCC Group
NCC Group (https://www.nccgroup.trust) is a global expert in cyber security and risk mitigation, working with businesses to protect their brand, value and reputation against the ever-evolving threat landscape. With the company's knowledge, experience and global footprint, it is best placed to help businesses identify, assess, mitigate & respond to the risks they face. NCC Group is passionate about making the Internet safer and revolutionizing the way in which organizations think about cyber security.

Headquartered in Manchester, UK, NCC Group has over 35 offices across the world, including key North America offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Austin and Waterloo. It employs more than 1,800 people and is a trusted advisor to 15,000 clients worldwide.

¹Forrester consulting study commissioned and published by Fortinet, May 2018