#ISAutowk: Cybersecurity pioneer honoured by peers!

Belden have announced that Eric Byres, chief technology officer with Tofino Security, a Belden brand, received the 2013 International Society of Automation (ISA) Excellence in Leadership Award recently in Nashville, Tenn.

“When considering nominations, we look for someone whose vision has fostered a paradigm shift, whose leadership has profoundly impacted the profession, and whose contributions have enhanced social value”

In only its second year, this award recognises an individual who has made significant contributions to the industry, including advancements in automation. “When considering nominations, we look for someone whose vision has fostered a paradigm shift, whose leadership has profoundly impacted the profession, and whose contributions have enhanced social value,” said Terrence G. Ives, ISA president. “This award is a way to express our appreciation for Eric’s outstanding achievements to the industry.”

Byres received the rare honor of ISA Fellow in 2009 for his outstanding achievements in science and engineering. Now, his ISA peers have elected to recognize him for his leadership in developing numerous innovations, industry standards and best practices in industrial cyber security.

“Eric brings a unique combination of deep technical knowledge, combined with practical field experience to his role at Belden,” said Dhrupad Trivedi, president of Belden’s Industrial IT business. “We’re extremely proud of his efforts and that he’s being recognized as a leader by his peers. He is a key driver of Belden’s security strategy, which is focused on the unique needs of our industrial customers.”

World-renowned for his expertise on cyber security solutions to protect SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) and industrial control systems, Byres’ vision centers around two key pillars: robust security tailored for industrial requirements and simple deployment.

Byres’ innovative approach helped invent the Tofino Industrial Security Solution – a system that protects industrial networks from external threats and internal network incidents. Its groundbreaking plug-and-play design allows facilities to easily implement robust security without operational downtime. This approach is a foundational piece of Belden’s Industrial IT strategy.

Frost & Sullivan named Byres’ company – at the time known as Byres Security – the 2010 World Award Winner for Industrial Network Security Solutions. This honor marked recognition for the Tofino™ Industrial Security Solution as the product that best enhanced customer value in the industrial automation and electronics industries in 2010.

Byres chairs several groups that are working to establish industry standards (ISA-99), assess current risks and develop a framework to protect facilities from cyber-attacks. He also serves as one of the industry’s go-to subject matter experts on the impact of Stuxnet on control systems security.

An early innovator in industrial Ethernet, Belden knows Industrial IT and is delivering the next generation of industrial networking solutions. Its global brands-Hirschmann, GarrettCom and Tofino Security-are leading the way in the evolution to Ethernet/IP. With a purpose-built portfolio, Belden’s wired, wireless and embedded products deliver the highest confidence of reliability, availability and security. In addition, excellent warranties and dedicated customer support minimize downtime, protect critical infrastructure and provide peace of mind.