A worldwide cybersecurity alliance established last year by the International Society of Automation (ISA) has tripled its membership in just six months. 

The ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance (ISAGCA) drew its first breath in July 2019. The organization was set up with the intention to provide an open, collaborative forum to advance cybersecurity awareness, readiness, and knowledge sharing. 

Founded with six initial members, ISAGCA announced on Tuesday that its ranks have since swelled to include an additional 23 companies and organizations. 

As of the end of 2019, the original vanguard of Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Claroty, and Nozomi Networks had been strengthened by the addition of aeSolutions, Bayshore Networks, Beijing Winicssec Technologies Co. Ltd., Digital Immunity, Dragos, exida, ISA Security Compliance Institute, ISA99 Committee, Idaho National Laboratory, LOGIIC (Linking the Oil and Gas Industry to Improve Cybersecurity), Mission Secure, Inc., Mocana Corporation, Munio Security, PAS Global, Radiflow, Senhasegura (supporting member), Tenable, TiSafe, Tripwire, WisePlant, Wallix Group, and Xage Security.

The new adherents to the cause have all joined as founding members. Alliance membership is open to all end users, asset owners, government agencies, and other cybersecurity-focused organizations. 

“The cyber threat to critical infrastructure has never been greater,” said Eddie Habibi, founder and CEO of newly welcomed ISAGCA member PAS Global. 

ISA executive director Mary Ramsey said: “When we pair ISA’s standards expertise with the real-world experience of companies like PAS, we can make major strides in advancing cybersecurity.

“Our founding members are united in their belief that security is a journey, not a destination, and they are committed to developing the resources that asset owners need to make progress.” 

New alliance member Tripwire was sensible of the organization’s potential to influence cybersecurity around the globe. 

A Tripwire spokesman said: “In becoming a founding member of ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance, Tripwire will participate in creating initiatives to increase industry awareness, creating education and certification programs, and advocating for sensible cybersecurity approaches with regulatory bodies and world governments.”

ISAGCA is organized into four general focus areas: Awareness & Outreach, Compliance & Prevention, Education & Training, and Advocacy & Adoption. Each area has an attached working group, actively working on projects that include creating an easy-to-follow, condensed guide to implementing the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards and setting up a database of speakers with expertise and experience in automation cybersecurity and associated commitments to wax lyrical at industry events.