Industrial Cyber Firms Form Lobbying Coalition as Biden Ramps Up Regulation

Such engagement between companies, lawmakers and regulators “can ensure that we’re all working in concert to keep the country safe,” said

Grant Geyer,

chief product officer for cyber firm Claroty Ltd.

Founding members include Claroty, Forescout Technologies Inc.,

Honeywell International Inc.,

Nozomi Networks Inc. and

Tenable Inc.

The U.S. took a relatively hands-off approach to cybersecurity regulation until President Biden took office. Now, businesses are wary of a regulatory patchwork, more onerous technological standards and requirements to disclose hacks.

The new lobby group intends to comment on proposed regulations as federal agencies consider standards for their respective sectors, as well as try to help shape cyber guidelines by nonregulatory bodies including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the Commerce Department. The coalition plans to register to lobby U.S. lawmakers and officials and might seek legal status as a trade association in the future, a spokesman said.

A series of high-profile hacks on U.S. companies, including the ransomware attack last year at Colonial Pipeline Co. that disrupted the East Coast’s largest fuel pipeline, pushed Washington to take a more aggressive approach on cybersecurity standards.

The Biden administration and Congress have elevated an array of cyber officials in the White House and imposed new security rules for federal contractors. Congress enacted legislation last month that will require critical infrastructure businesses to report incidents to the Department of Homeland Security.

Fearing attacks that could disrupt power plants or water-treatment facilities, U.S. officials have also made industrial-control systems a priority. The Transportation Security Administration unveiled first-of-their-kind cyber regulations for pipeline operators following the Colonial hack, with similar standards announced for many railway and airline operators. Agencies including the Energy Department and Environmental Protection Agency have asked electric and water utilities to install sensors in their systems to detect threats that can be shared with the government.

The flurry of activity has left businesses facing an array of new requests and requirements from various federal agencies. Cybersecurity companies have beefed up their lobbying efforts in recent years in response to such attention, while general business groups including the Chamber of Commerce have also pushed to ensure new rules are broadly workable for their members.

While the businesses behind the new Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition often compete for customers, they hope the group can advance security standards for industrial firms, said

Jeff Zindel,

vice president and general manager of cybersecurity for Honeywell Connected Enterprise.

“This work is essential to protect our country’s critical infrastructure,” he said.

Write to David Uberti at [email protected]