Protecting sensitive customer and utility data
BY JOHN CHOWDHURY, Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc.
Smart meters, and the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) on which they depend, collect and transport vast amounts of data. While the data provides more precise energy billing, as well as valuable insight into energy demand and usage patterns, consumers expect that utilities will keep that data secure and that their privacy will be protected.
Security and privacy are prerequisites to increased...
WASHINGTON – Russia is involved in U.S. Power Grid Hacking, nuclear facilities, water processing plants, aviation systems, and other critical infrastructure that millions of Americans rely on, according to a new joint analysis by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. In an...
The idea of a cyberattack on the power grid may invoke images of flickering lights and a race against the clock to block an intrusion – but, often the most serious threats aren’t that obvious or dramatic.Cyber threats that target critical infrastructure facilities like the power grid...
How utilities can utilize multi-layered security approaches BY RICHARD CLARK, InduSoft Defense-in-depth is a security strategy first developed by military leaders in which multiple layers of safeguards are placed throughout a system. The concept behind the strategy is that it is more difficult to...
Moving forward with distribution automation and intelligent electronic devices BY JOHN MCDONALD, GE Digital Energy The ongoing rollout of interval (aka “smart”) meters and the resulting deluge of data have rightly received much attention and triggered the initial impetus for electric utility...
In a significant shift, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has decided to abandon its transmission incentives policy, particularly the construction work in progress (CWIP) incentives. This decision marks a pivotal change in how transmission projects are financed and regulated,...
As the adoption of renewable energy technologies accelerates across the globe, the FBI has issued a stark warning about the increasing cyber risks associated with these advancements. The rise in renewable energy infrastructure, while crucial for achieving climate goals, has also attracted the...
A recently published report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlights the significant cybersecurity risks facing the nation’s power grid. One of the key findings in this report is that “the grid is becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks - particularly those involving...
The SmartGrid continues to expand and gather new functions as needs expand. Automated metering, relay operation, RTU operation, electric management systems, remedial action schemes, SCADA, field reclosers, Synchrophasors, remote access, weather, and earthquake monitoring and future needs still yet...
To compete in today’s dynamic markets, power utilities are increasingly deploying IoT-based technologies and integrating their IT and operational technology (OT) networks. While these advances enable predictive maintenance, improve efficiency, and reduce downtime, they also expose grid...
The idea of a cyberattack on the power grid may invoke images of flickering lights and a race against the clock to block an intrusion – but, often the most serious threats aren’t that obvious or dramatic.Cyber threats that target critical infrastructure facilities like the power grid...
