Tenable’s Marty Edwards: CISA Initiatives, New Bills Could Help Improve Operational Tech Security

Marty Edwards, vice president of operational technology security at Tenable, said recent initiatives by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and measures being introduced in Congress could help critical infrastructure owners and operators improve OT security and cross-sector visibility to address cyber threats.

Edwards wrote in a blog post published Wednesday that CISA issued in July a strategy to improve the cyber protection of the country's industrial control systems. 

Aside from the ICS strategy, CISA is working with stakeholders in public and private sectors to update the National Infrastructure Protection Plan and has been working to introduce cybersecurity best practices through its set of Cyber Essentials toolkits.

When it comes to legislation, Edwards noted that the House is working on the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which contains cybersecurity provisions related to smart manufacturing, smart buildings and electric grid modernization. The Senate’s American Energy Innovation Act includes several provisions that would help ensure the security of the country’s electric grid and related infrastructure.

“This agency work and these aforementioned bills coming out of the House and Senate are all important and thoughtful steps towards securing the nation's energy infrastructure, but we shouldn't stop innovating and improving,” he wrote. “For instance, energy cybersecurity legislation should require DOE to work closely with CISA on interoperable information sharing.”