Cybersecurity in the Energy Sector of Cost Rica.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, also known as ICE or the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity, has officially joined ISASecure®, a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA. ISASecure is the globally recognized certification program that validates conformance to the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards for industrial automation and control systems (IACS) cybersecurity.

The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad was founded in 1949 with the mandate to take advantage of water resources efficiently and responsibly for the electrification of the country. A Costa Rican state company, its mission is to provide energy, connectivity and safe and sustainable digital services to the inhabitants of Costa Rica. Their electrical matrix takes advantage of the earth's steam, wind, water, solar energy and biomass. It also focuses on the development of smart grids and electric mobility.

This new partnership with ISASecure reflects the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity’s ongoing mission to strengthen the OT security maturity of Costa Rica’s energy matrix and ensure OT cybersecurity procedures are continually maintained to the highest standards.

Erick Obregón Navarro, ICE Dirección Ciberseguridad y Protección Empresarial, Gerencia General shared: “Joining ISASecure and the adoption of the ISA/IEC 62443 standard supports the implementation of key industrial cybersecurity capabilities, such as:

1. Protection of industrial networks and SCADA systems.
2. Definition of security levels and layered control approaches.
3. Network segmentation and reduction of the attack surface.
4. Secure management of access and industrial components.
5. Continuous monitoring and incident response.

“We look forward to our partnership with ISASecure to ensure our energy systems and Costa Rican residents are protected from cybersecurity attacks.”

“It is an honor to welcome the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) into the ISASecure program,” said Mark DeAngelo, ISASecure program manager. “Today’s critical infrastructure demands comprehensive, rigorously validated cybersecurity. We look forward to collaborating with the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad as we advance our mission of industry partnership, certification and standards-based product development to help achieve a more secure world. It is an honor to welcome our first Costa Rican company to ISASecure.”

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Insuring standards in cybersecurity.

AXA XL has officially joined ISASecure®, the globally recognized certification program that validates conformance to the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards for industrial automation and control systems (IACS) cybersecurity.

AXA XL is the commercial property & casualty and specialty risk division of AXA SA, one of the world’s largest commercial insurance reinsurance companies. Among its offerings are comprehensive cyber insurance solutions. Risk consulting is another key component of AXA XL’s service offerings. AXA XL Risk Consulting services are designed to help clients identify, assess, and mitigate risks across their operations, including cyber threats. This includes providing expert advice on risk management strategies, loss prevention and safety improvements tailored to the specific needs of each client. By combining insurance solutions with risk consulting, AXA XL aims to deliver a comprehensive approach to managing complex risks, helping clients reduce potential losses and enhance their resilience.

This new partnership with ISASecure reflects AXA XL’s ongoing mission to strengthen their knowledge and assistance in providing superior client risk consulting services and allow them to strengthen their security-by-design approach to integrating cybersecurity into corporate management.

“It is an honour to welcome AXA XL into the ISASecure program,” said Mark DeAngelo, ISASecure program manager. “Today’s critical infrastructure demands comprehensive, rigorously validated cybersecurity. We look forward to collaborating with AXA XL as we advance our mission of partnership, certification and standards-based product development to help achieve a more secure world.”

According to Rebiah Bardot-Girard, AXA XL’s head of cyber risk consulting services, “Becoming a member of ISASecure really strengthens our ability to support clients with their operational technology (OT) cybersecurity needs. This accreditation means our team can now access the ISASecure certification framework, which will help us better identify, assess and manage the OT risks our clients face from cyber threats. Our goal is to provide practical, standards-based solutions that weave cybersecurity into the heart of their operations and strategies — so they can build more resilient and secure working environments.”

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Security assurance scheme.

The upcoming rollout of the ISASecure® Industrial Automation Control System Security Assurance (ACSSA) inspection and certification scheme was revealed recently by the International Society of Automation. ISASecure program manager Dr. Mark DeAngelo shared early details on the new initiative at the ISA OT Cybersecurity Summit last month in Brussels (B).

The ISASecure ACSSA inspection and certification scheme will offer a common industry-vetted method for evaluating conformity of an industrial automation and control system (IACS) to the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards, which includes all policies and procedures, service providers and technical security controls.

“ISASecure is proud to announce our newest program, the ACSSA inspection and certification scheme,” DeAngelo said. “ACSSA’s consistent approach benefits everyone — including asset owners, insurance providers, product suppliers, service providers, conformity assessment bodies and government bodies — allowing all to share a common understanding of facility risk.”

ACSSA was formulated to help bridge lingering gaps in operational site assurance. Despite the comprehensive nature of ISASecure and cybersecurity expert programs, asset owners have relied on a patchwork of internal policies and third-party audits that vary across sites, leading to inconsistent security postures, compliance gaps, increased risk exposure, increased liability and regulatory non-compliance. ACSSA aligns all stakeholders around a consistent, standards-based program, contributing to a more secure and resilient environment for asset owners.

ISASecure’s ACSSA evaluates conformity to the ISA/IEC 62443 requirements by verifying processes, procedures, support from service providers and the configuration and utilization of control systems capabilities. As the ISA/IEC 62443 framework offers a risk-based approach, ACSSA evaluation begins with reviewing the asset owner’s risk assessment process and the results of that process.

The first three-day training course for ACSSA will be launched in early fall 2025 at ISA headquarters in Durham, North Carolina. An online version of the course will be offered in late 2025. ISA is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Anyone interested in learning more about upcoming ACSSA training courses as they are announced may sign up here .

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