A team approach has led to success for the DNG-ISAC
It has been four years since the American Gas Association launched the Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or DNG-ISAC, its greatest tool for ensuring the security of natural gas utilities.
“It’s easier to work as a team against a global threat, and we’ve got hundreds of cyber and physical security experts involved in defending the National Critical Infrastructure,” John Bryk, DNG-ISAC’s cyber and physical threat intelligence analyst, told American Gas. National Critical Infrastructure is a plan of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The old adage “forewarned is forearmed” proves especially true for AGA members and other DNG-ISAC partners who benefit from threat information discovered by the analysis center. Earlier this year, DNG-ISAC sent out alerts about the potentially devastating ransomware threats called WANNACRY and NOT-PETYA, which alerted members to patch vulnerabilities and be on guard.
Among the highlights of its first four years, Bryk cites bringing the Canadian Gas Association and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America on board as members of a growing network of expert connections for sharing warnings and threat information.
“We’ve made a lot of inroads in connecting with other groups, such as InfraGard, the FBI private sector group; the Global Cyber Alliance, headquartered in London; and NATO’s Cyber Center for Excellence in Estonia,” he said.
Characterizing it as “a small but mighty ISAC,” Bryk said he is most proud that members of other ISACs are eager to join the DNG-ISAC.
“Often, our threat information is more timely than even the U.S. government’s—and more operationally useful for our members, since it’s aimed at the natural gas industry,” he said, stressing that “we don’t defend just downstream natural gas; we defend all natural gas.”
Going forward, Bryk said, a priority is to expand the grid and emergency continuity so that the DNG-ISAC will still be able to communicate in the event of a widespread power outage or weather emergency. The ability to easily relocate the DNG-ISAC to an area not affected by such emergencies is key to its viability, he said.