Recently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff published a White Paper detailing what they believe could be new and effective ways of incentivizing utilities to invest more heavily in cybersecurity. Currently, utilities are only required to meet the minimum security level established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005’s Reliability Standards. These Standards are
Cybersecurity
New Report: Enhancing the Resilience of the Nation’s Electricity System
The Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provides independent advice to the United States government and the private sector on science and technology policy issues related to energy and the environment. Given the importance of electricity to our nation’s health, safety, and economy, BEES has…
SGIP Smart Grid Cybersecurity Committee Releases NISTIR 7628 User’s Guide
The members of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (“SGIP”) are working on standards, policies and guides to help modernize the electric power grid. Last month, the Smart Grid Cybersecurity Committee of SGIP released a helpful resource: A straight forward thirty page User’s Guide to help utilities navigate the previous released hefty 597 page Interagency Report …
FERC Orders Reliability Standards for Physical Security of the Grid
Because the grid is so critical to all aspects of our society and economy, protecting its reliability and resilience is a core responsibility of everyone who works in the electric industry.
– Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) Acting Chairman Cheryl LaFleur
This month, FERC directed the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”) to develop Reliability…
DOE Focuses on Physical Security of Electric Infrastructure
With recent cybersecurity breaches at large retailers, it’s easy to forget about the most basic and still threatening issue of physical security. That is why I am pleased to report the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC)…
NIST Framwork 3.0 is Coming! The Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards
Later this year, NIST expects to release a draft of the Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards (“Framework”) document for a formal 60-day public comment period and the final version of the document is planned for publication in the first half of 2014. However, those attending the SGIP Inaugural Meeting received an advanced…
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month? NIST Releases Preliminary Cybersecurity Framework
Who knew? October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month! This year marks the 10th anniversary of the initiative sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security in cooperation with the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center. Just in time to commemorate the milestone, this week, the U.S. Department…
Still Time to Provide NIST with Comments to the Discussion Draft of the Preliminary Cybersecurity Framework
On February 12, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order 13636 calling for the development of a voluntary risk-based cybersecurity framework (“Framework”). The National Institute of Standards (“NIST”) is developing the Framework through an open process. Although it will serve as a uniform guide for developing cybersecurity programs, the Framework is expected to evolve with business…
DOE and the National Defense University Offers Free Microgrid Security Training
Microgrids play an important role in the development of a smarter electric grid and present security and safety challenges which must be addressed. Ever wanted to attend the National Defense University? On June 18, 2013, the Department of Energy and the National Defense University will co-host the Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and…
Cybersecurity for the Grid Summer School – June 17-21, 2013
Got plans for the summer? Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, the University of California at Davis and Washington State University are addressing the challenge of how to protect the nation’s power grid by improving the way the power grid infrastructure is built, making it more secure, reliable and…