The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Tuesday joined the Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing and Analysis Center as part of a continuing effort to enhance the security of its members’ physical assets and cyber networks. The federal government promotes ISACs and Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations (ISAOs) as a best security practice. They serve as a platform for sharing cyber and physical threat intelligence, incident information, analytics and tools. Critical infrastructure sectors use ISACs to share comprehensive analysis within the sector, with other sectors and with federal and state governments. More than a dozen ISACs exist in the United States, covering a wide range of industry sectors, including electric, nuclear, financial, telecommunications, information technology and water. The American Gas Association formed the DNG-ISAC in 2014. The DNG-ISAC helps local natural gas utilities and natural gas pipelines throughout the nation share and access timely, accurate and relevant threat information as part of their commitment to the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to the more than 177 million Americans who rely on it to meet their daily needs. The DNG-ISAC works closely with other energy-related ISACs.
"INGAA and its members are proud to join the DNG-ISAC, and we hope our knowledge and experience with these important security issues help others within the ISAC,” said INGAA President and CEO Don Santa. INGAA currently is participating in an automated information sharing pilot program with the US Department of Homeland Security. “We hope to bring value to the DNG-ISAC by sharing with other members of the ISAC the lessons that INGAA and its members have learned from the automated information sharing pilot program,” he said. “Information-sharing is central to a robust cyber and physical defense. Participation in the DNG-ISAC will allow us to share more readily important information within our sector, with other energy sectors and with the government to promote the safety and reliability of the nation’s interstate natural gas pipelines.”
Partnership between the private sector and the federal and state governments is a key to addressing physical and cybersecurity threats to the nation’s critical infrastructure. INGAA has a long history of participation with government agencies. For example, INGAA was instrumental in developing the US Transportation and Safety Administration’s physical and cybersecurity guidelines for the natural gas pipeline industry.
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