MHI: Charter of Trust Partners Decide on Further Measures for More Cybersecurity
- Written by ACN Newswire
At the Munich Security Conference in February 2018, Siemens and eight partners from the industrial sector launched a joint charter for more cybersecurity for the first time. Two years after signing, the Charter of Trust (CoT) has grown to 15 members. In addition to Siemens and the Munich Security Conference, the companies AES, Airbus, Allianz, Atos, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Deutsche Telekom, IBM, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NXP, SGS and TUV SUD have committed themselves to the document. Furthermore, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the National Cryptologic Center (CCN) and Graz University of Technology are accompanying the Charter's work as Associated Partners. Today, the Charter of Trust is gaining two new members in NTT, the Japanese IT service provider for consulting and managed services, and the German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon. With the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering GmbH (HPI), one of Germany's leading IT institutes is now also contributing to the cybersecurity initiative as an Associated Partner.
"As a provider of various critical infrastructures to society, cybersecurity is of utmost importance to MHI, our customers and partners. We are delighted to see more organisations join the Charter of Trust and strengthen our collaboration towards global cybersecurity rules and standards," said Eisaku Ito, CoCTO, Senior Vice President, Technology Strategy Office, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Last year, the partners already agreed on 17 concrete baseline requirements with which they can increase the security of their supply chains. Since then, numerous suppliers of CoT companies have already committed to meeting these requirements. Siemens has been introducing them step-by-step since February 15, 2019, and they have been internationally anchored and made binding as part of the general ordering conditions. This primarily affects suppliers of safety-critical components - such as software, processors or electronic components. Existing suppliers are expected to implement the requirements gradually if they are not already being fulfilled. The aim is to better protect the digital supply chain from hacks. The baseline requirements include, for example, that suppliers incorporate safety standards, processes and methods into their products or services. This concerns both technical features and organizational measures relevant to products, services and the corresponding IT infrastructure. The goal here is to reduce risks caused by weaknesses in the software and malware functions. Suppliers bear the responsibility to carry out regular safety checks, tests and corrections. The CoT partners have agreed to these requirements for themselves as well. The supply chain is the weakest point in a company's cybersecurity ecosystem: The origins of 60 percent of cyberattacks can be traced back to parts of the supply chain, and in 60% of those cyber incidents, it is smaller companies who are affected, according to a Verizon study.
The CoT partners have also decided to promote education and training on cybersecurity issues, including for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks. For example, in Germany, the Charter of Trust partnered with the "Alliance for Cybersecurity," and developed a set of materials with an emergency card that explains quickly and easily what to do in the event of a cyberattack. In addition, the partners have developed further training material that are made available to SMEs free of charge. In doing so, they aim to prevent cybercrime, but above all to highlight the opportunities for effective cybersecurity measures. The partners have developed a special cybersecurity simulation for schools to give students and teachers a clear and easily digestible overview of the challenges.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, cyberattacks will cause more than EUR500 billion in global damage in 2018. And the threats are constantly increasing in a digitalized world: According to Cisco, there are around 50 billion networked devices in use in 2020 - double the amount than in 2015, and the figure is expected to rise to 500 billion by 2030.The text of the Charter of Trust can be found at: www.charteroftrust.com.
About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial firms. For more than 130 years, we have channeled big thinking into solutions that move the world forward - advancing the lives of everyone who shares our planet. We deliver innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries, covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI Group employs 80,000 people across 400 locations, operating in three business domains: "Power Systems," "Industry & Infrastructure," "Aircraft, Defense & Space." We have a consolidated revenue of around 40 billion U.S. Dollars. We aim to contribute to environmental sustainability while achieving global growth, using our leading-edge technologies. By bringing people and ideas together as one, we continue to pave the way to a future of shared success.
For more information, please visit MHI's website: https://www.mhi.com For Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: https://spectra.mhi.com
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