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Industry leaders offer a two-part cybersecurity session at the AIChE 2020 Spring Meeting & 16th Global Congress on Process Safety
Written by Mission Secure News Desk
Learn more in the session, “Cybersecurity in the Chemical Industry; Where Process Safety, Control, and Optimization Meet the Digital Age of Connectivity”
July 30, 2020 – Session co-chairs Mission Secure, aeSolutions, and ISA announce the upcoming two-part cybersecurity session, “Cybersecurity in the Chemical Industry; Where Process Safety, Control, and Optimization Meet the Digital Age of Connectivity,” at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) 2020 Spring Meeting & 16th Global Congress on Process Safety. As a safety measure amidst the pandemic, this year’s annual event for chemical engineers and process safety professionals will be virtual, held from August 17th through August 21st.
Cybersecurity in the Chemical Industry
The development and adoption of new, innovative technologies are a constant in today’s interconnected world. Nowhere is this truer than in the chemical industries. These technologies enhance and optimize the physical processes, resulting in more-efficient operations, improved product quality, increased safety, and improved management. However, if not integrated properly, these innovations can also increase exposure to cyber threats with the potential to cripple operations.
Presented by an impressive line-up of speakers — energy supermajors, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and industry thought leaders — this session covers various topics including CyberPHA methodology, incident response, resiliency at physical levels, and establishing a cybersecurity culture. Speakers will address technology applications and implementations in both brownfield and greenfield scenarios, with the goal to maximize results while minimizing cybersecurity risks. The two-part session on cybersecurity is on Thursday, August 20th.
Cybersecurity in the Chemical Industry:
Where Process Safety, Control, and Optimization Meet the Digital Age of Connectivity
Thursday, August 20, 2020
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
“For decades, we’ve relied on control systems in operations without a thought to cyber-securing them because, back then, it wasn’t a risk,” comments co-chair Mark Baggett, VP of Industrial Control Systems at Mission Secure. “Today, the risk is imminent and increasing. We’re all going back to address the issues we created and to prepare for today’s likely and highly impactful risks as we look to adopt new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies.”
Cybersecurity within industrial and process sectors remains a challenge for many, but is evermore necessary as technology continues to escalate. “Cybersecurity is a must-have today; it is just like safety,” states Marco Ayala, Lifecycle Services Manager at aeSolutions. “Today, organizations need to focus on awareness, training, and creating a cybersecurity culture, not unlike they do with process safety.”
Co-chair ISA will also offer cybersecurity training sessions during the conference, further supporting the awareness and education of chemical industry professionals. With Mission Secure and aeSolutions founding members of the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA), it’s a shared mission across the three organizations. “Our founding members are united in their belief that security is a journey, not a destination, and they’re committed to developing the resources that asset owners need to make progress,” said ISA Executive Director Mary Ramsey. “We are proud to call Mission Secure and aeSolutions founding members, and we are excited to collaborate with their experts to deliver these solutions.”
To learn more or register for AIChE’s 2020 Spring Meeting and 16th Global Congress on Process Safety, visit www.aiche.org/spring.
To learn more about the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance, visit http://www.isa.org/isagca.
About AIChE:
AIChE is a professional society of more than 60,000 members in more than 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontier of chemical engineering research in such areas as nanotechnology, sustainability, hydrogen fuels, biological and environmental engineering, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.
About aeSolutions:
In business since 1998, aeSolutions is a consulting, engineering, and systems integration company that provides industrial process safety, cybersecurity, and automation products and services. The company specializes in helping industrial clients achieve their risk management and operational excellence goals through expertise in process safety, industrial cybersecurity, safety instrumented systems, control system design and integration, alarm management, and related operations and integrity management systems. For more information, visit www.aesolns.com.
About Mission Secure, Inc.:
Mission Secure®, an OT cybersecurity leader, is setting a new standard in OT cyber-protection stopping OT cyber-attacks head-on. The Mission Secure Platform backed by 24/7 Managed Services is the first to seamlessly integrate OT visibility, protection, threat hunting, and incident response delivering military strength, industrial grade OT protection. Powered by its patented technology, the Mission Secure Platform reads and validates source-based electrical signals to continuously detect operational anomalies and threats before damage can occur to physical processes. With Mission Secure, customers keep critical operations up and running and safe from harm.
Originally published July 30, 2020, updated December 21, 2020.
