ISASecure says it is developing NSA-linked certification for OT components
ISASecure says the new scheme would help the U.S. government evaluate high-criticality OT components for use in National Security Systems.
ISASecure says it is working with the U.S. National Security Agency on a certification scheme for commercial operational technology components bought by the U.S. government for use in National Security Systems.
ISASecure says the scheme is intended to increase confidence in the security of high-criticality OT components. The group says an eventual certificate would be evidence for manufacturers seeking inclusion on the NSA’s National Security Systems OT Product Compliant List, which the release describes as a step before a smart controller can be purchased and installed in an NSS.
Context and background
The release says ISASecure is a wholly owned subsidiary of the International Society of Automation, or ISA. It says ISA developed security levels and cybersecurity requirements for OT components in ISA 62443-4-2.
According to the release, NSA’s Operational Technology Assurance Partnership program published six technical security requirements in an April 2025 NSA/CSS Cybersecurity Technical Report titled “Operational Technology Assurance Partnership: Smart Controller Security within National Security Systems.” ISASecure says it is responding by developing a separate High Criticality Component Security Assurance, or HCSA, certification scheme derived from its existing Component Security Assurance scheme.
What officials said
The release quotes Dr. Mark P. DeAngelo, program manager of ISASecure, as calling the development a “major achievement” and saying CSA certification set the foundation for HCSA.
ISASecure also says manufacturers interested in developing smart controllers can join the program, and it lists component manufacturers, accreditation bodies and certification bodies as stakeholders.
What happens next
ISASecure says that once the HCSA scheme is completed and accepted by the OTAP program office, NSA will use it as an approved certification mechanism when evaluating whether to add OT OEM components to the NSS OT Product Compliant List.
The release says ISASecure was founded by ISA in 2007 and has conducted certifications since 2010. ISA is described in the release as a nonprofit professional association founded in 1945.
Sources
Editorial note: This article was prepared with AI assistance and includes source attribution for reader review.
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