We’re not doing enough about security: But what SHOULD we do?

By Doug Peeples

In the first article in our Next Next Thing series, industry professionals contributed their thoughts and recommendations on how to manage and wring the most value from Big Data from a variety of perspectives. Now we turn our attention to cybersecurity and physical security, which has become a sore spot for many utilities… to put it mildly.

Steady criticism has zeroed in on how utilities have been handling cyber and physical security in their operations for some time, and it seemed to begin when stimulus funding launched a flurry of smart grid projects, like advanced metering, and programs in 2009. Even then, critics were warning that security needed to be built in from the outset, not bolted on later as an afterthought. And the criticism continues from several sources: stakeholders, policy makers, standards organizations and companies, as well as regulators. They say utilities aren't doing enough to guarantee grid security and stability, don't know enough about how to implement top notch security programs or simply aren't interested or committed enough to make meaningful progress.

As if that wasn't enough, alarming reports of security threats and attacksaccelerating at a frightening pacein terms of numbers of attacks and their sophistication have cranked up the heat so much more.

So obviously, security isn't a new issue. And it may not sound like a candidate for the Next Next Thing which, as we explained earlier, is that technology, development, advance or new wrinkle in smart grid evolution that's waiting just over the horizon. But it's quite possible that a working solution, a way to ensure the best, strongest and most effective security possible could be just that.

So, what do we do about it?

Two of our contributors believe the solution to effective cyber and physical security can only be achieved if it's a team effort, a collaboration.

Source: Smart Grid News

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Taxonomy

• Smart Grid
• IT