OT Coalition Urges CISA to Mandate Security Standards for Federal Systems

The Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition urged the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to set mandatory baseline security requirements for operational technology across federal civilian agencies, InfoSecurity Magazine reported on October 7. The coalition published a report on October 6 calling for a binding operational directive to establish these baseline practices. [1]

According to InfoSecurity Magazine, the coalition stated that no existing directive sets minimum security practices for federal operational technology. The group noted that CISA currently lacks visibility into the risks facing these specific systems. [1]

InfoSecurity Magazine reported that federal civilian agencies rely on operational technology in more than 8,000 facilities managed by the General Services Administration. These locations include laboratories, hospitals, and ports of entry, where operational technology controls critical functions such as building automation, power, access control, water, and HVAC systems. [1]

Computer security focuses on protecting software, systems, and networks from threats that cause unauthorized data disclosure, damage, or service disruption. Security information and event management tools collect and aggregate data from diverse systems to enable real time analysis of security alerts within security operations centers. [2][3]