A University of Missouri-Rolla professor will lead discussions on secure control systems at the Process Control Systems Forum (PCSF) Oct. 25- 27 in Chicago, Ill.

“At the heart and soul of nearly every critical infrastructure is a process control system,” says discussions leader Dr. Ann Miller, the Cynthia Tang Missouri Distinguished Professor of computer engineering at UMR. “Harsh environments and natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, have long been considered as potential threats. Unfortunately, cyber threats have not been equally addressed.”

Sponsored by the U.S. department of homeland security, the international forum will bring together industry decision-makers to accelerate the design, development, and deployment of more secure control systems.

Miller will provide participants with an overview of the group’s goals and will highlight areas of research in methodologies and technologies related to control systems, including critical infrastructure, and Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition systems. Specific areas include security, safety, reliability and dependability.

More information about the PCSF meeting in Chicago is available at www.pcsforum.org.