23 September 2009

ISA starts 'cyber security for nuclear plants' study 

ISA67, Nuclear Power Plant Standards, is initiating a new working group on control-system cyber security for nuclear plants.

Cyber security awareness and associated countermeasures are becoming increasingly important considerations for nuclear power plants. ISA99 addressed industrial control system security in 2002 and has been very active since that time.

It has had little representation from the nuclear plant community, because the ISA99 leadership team, which does include two nuclear power experts, has consistently agreed appropriate security measures are largely industry independent.

However, with current NRC, NEI, FERC, NERC, and nuclear utility attention to this area, it is now appropriate to address these nuclear specific issues within ISA67.

The initial meeting of the ISA67 Nuclear Plant Cyber Security Working Group will be 19 October at the Excel Services offices in Rockville, Md., at 9 a.m.

For more information or to attend the meeting, contact Tim Hurst (timh@hursttech.com), Jerry Voss (jerryvoss@msn.com), or Joe Weiss (joe.weiss@realtimeacs.com).

For related information, go to www.isa.org/link/powerIND.