Europe demand for cybersecurity info surges!

The rising number of industrial cyberattacks throughout the world is prompting a surge in demand for ISA cybersecurity courses offered by ISA Europe.

Cyber-criminals and nation-state actors are increasingly targeting operational technology (OT), which is essential for the production and safety of critical infrastructure. Attacks against OT have ballooned from 5 percent to 30 percent in the last few years. According to a recent security survey, at least 80 percent of companies in Europe have experienced at least one cybersecurity incident over the last year.

As a result, ISA Europe reports increasing demand among global manufacturers—most notably those located in The Netherlands, Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, and Spain—for training courses based on the ISA/IEC-62443 series of industrial automation and control systems (IACS) security standards.

Pieter van der Klooster, ISA’s director of international business development, discusses the growing demand for industrial cybersecurity training and what it means for ISA Europe.

“We at ISA Europe are excited about our long-term potential for growth, particularly in meeting mounting demand for industrial cybersecurity training and education. In fact, approximately 70 percent of the ISA courses we teach in Europe are ISA cybersecurity courses,” reports van der Klooster.

“Certainly, incidents of cyber-crime are increasing all over the world. Every company is facing challenges in this area and ISA has the subject-matter expertise and unique training program in cybersecurity to help solve these challenges,” he added.

The most popular courses, based on class enrollment, offered by ISA Europe are: IC32 (Using the ISA/IEC 62443 Standards to Secure Your Control Systems), followed by: 

• IC34 (IACS Cybersecurity Design & Implementation) 
• IC33 (Assessing the Cybersecurity of New or Existing IACS Systems)
• IC37 (IACS Cybersecurity Operations & Maintenance)

ISA/IEC 62443, the world's only consensus-based series of industrial cybersecurity standards and those endorsed by the United Nations, protect the IACS and networks that control operational technology machinery and associated devices within critical infrastructure and manufacturing plants. Without these defenses in place, an industrial cyberattack can result in plant shutdown, operational and equipment impairment, severe economic and environmental damage, and put lives at risk.  

This January, ISA Europe opened a larger training office and facility located in Eindhoven, Netherlands, which is well-positioned to meet the growing demands for ISA courses in Europe. In addition to providing a more suitable space for training classes and hands-on laboratory exercises, the facility offers flexible workspaces for on-site trainers, additional parking, a storage area, a shared kitchen, and a lunchroom.  

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