Yokogawa Promotes GICSP Training to Enhance Plant Safety

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces that, as of the end of fiscal year 2014, 14 of its employees have obtained certification as Global Industrial Cyber Security Professionals (GICSP). This is a relatively new professional qualification, first introduced in November 2013, and Yokogawa has been one of the leading companies within the industrial automation industry in obtaining certification for its employees. This attests to the high-level industrial cyber security expertise of its workforce and is in line with the company's longstanding commitment to bringing its customers safety and asset excellence.

The GICSP certification exam is offered under the auspices of Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC), a leader in the cyber security certification field. The GICSP is the only credential of its kind that addresses the specific cyber security issues that are encountered in the industrial control systems (ICS) field. This vendor-neutral certification is aimed at IT, engineering, and security professionals working in every industry. It assesses and validates that professionals have the skills, knowledge, and capabilities needed to be in a role where they will exercise responsibility for the cyber security of an ICS.

An increasing number of Yokogawa's major customers are now requiring the assignment of at least one GICSP qualified professional to each project. This is clear evidence of the industry's strong recognition of and support for this professional qualification.

Commenting on the GICSP, Shailendra Shete, head of the Global Engineering Business Division, says, "I believe it will be difficult for Yokogawa to make headway in expanding its security business if we do not emphasize the GICSP. Employees who get this certification will be conversant with the latest technologies and be at the forefront of efforts to provide such services to the industry. I think that they will be able to help Yokogawa take and maintain a leading position in the provision of security services."

Yokogawa is continually striving to optimize control systems security for its customers by developing highly secure systems and instruments and providing operational support services. Even before launching its GICSP initiative, Yokogawa had developed its own security training program to ensure that its employees would be able to provide the security solutions needed by customers. Yokogawa will continue its efforts to increase the number of GICSP certified professionals at each of its Group companies around the world. This will help to strengthen the company's position as a leader in the ICS field, and will build on our long history in network security and our global reach. Our continual aim is to make sure that our customers can operate their plants safely.