Back to the index page  
  FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Register   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Log in 



Study: Electric Grid Needs Full-Time Cyberguard

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    bforum Forum Index -> General
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
hurricanemaxi



Joined: 04 Nov 2011
Posts: 120

PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:57 am    Post subject: Study: Electric Grid Needs Full-Time Cyberguard Reply with quote
The United States needs an overarching national authority to oversee cybersecurity efforts connected to the national power grid, an MIT study suggests.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) have authority over the development of cybersecurity standards for the bulk power system and ensuring compliance with these standards. However, the report stated that there's no national regulatory oversight of cybersecurity standards for the distribution system, meaning the grid.

"We would welcome a single authority," Patrick Miller, president and CEO of the National Electric Sector Cybersecurity Organization (NESCO), told TechNewsWorld.

"We've seen a lot of confusion around who would have authority in the event of a cyber attack [on the power grid]," Miller added.

NESCO is a public-private partnership in the electric center partly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy that pulls together efforts to enhance the cybersecurity of the U.S. national electric infrastructure.

"There is a need for oversight," said security expert Randy Abrams.

"The main reason is that short-sighted managers trying to save a buck and undercut competitors will first look at cutting security budgets if there isn't a really big stick threatening them if they don't conform," Abrams told TechNewsWorld.

Some Threats to the Power Grid

Over the next 20 years, the amount of data flowing through communications networks for the power grid will grow far more than the amount of electricity flowing through the grid will, the MIT report's section on cybersecurity pointed out.

The expansion of existing communications flows and the introduction of new ones will pose significant security threats.

Millions of new electronic devices ranging from smart meters to synchrophasers will be added to the grid's communications networks, and that will introduce new vulnerabilities that could result in problems such as loss of control over grid devices, loss of communications between grid entities and control centers, or even blackouts, the report stated.
Rumble in the Power Grid Cybersecurity Jungle

Various organizations are working on creating cybersecurity standards for the power grid, but each of them is looking at a different part of the picture and, in essence, everything's a mishmash.

For example, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report this year criticizing electric grid guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for their lack of information on combined cyber-physical attacks and the absence of a final schedule for updating the guidelines, the MIT report states.

Further, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) identified the potential for conflicts between NERC's existing Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) requirements and other standards.

"There's so much confusion because of the various parties that have their hands in the mix, that the utilities themselves are left in a wait-and-see mode," NESCO's Miller remarked.

"They have to see who's going to have their path going forward, not just from a response perspective, but from the regulatory perspective as well," Miller added.
townhouses for sale in mississauga
stone veneer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Chalima Vilkan



Joined: 03 Oct 2012
Posts: 54

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 6:46 am    Post subject: Electric Grid Needs Full Time Cyberguard Reply with quote
The amount of data flowing through communications networks for the power grid will grow far more than the amount of electricity flowing through the grid. electric companies in texas
_________________
It recruitment agencies
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Chalima Vilkan



Joined: 03 Oct 2012
Posts: 54

PostPosted: Mon May 20, 2013 1:27 pm    Post subject: Good Reply with quote
The proportion of carbon in the fuel is smaller. If it burned diesel, the footprint would probably be smaller still, because the efficiency of a diesel generator can approach that of a utility power plant. Kids clothes
_________________
It recruitment agencies
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Free Forum






PostPosted:      Post subject: ForumsLand.com
Back to top
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    bforum Forum Index -> General All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Airhead theme by Zarron Media 2003