Modern Electric Grid Fighting Cyber Vulnerabilities Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (07/23/14) Sanserino, Michael Efforts to modernize the electric grid around the country have led to increased communication between utilities and customers, better reliability, and more open doors for renewable energy producers. However, the risk of cyber attacks has also increased. Experts say widespread blackouts, brownouts, communication failures, and data theft are among the risks facing the industry. Most of the threats are a result of the increase number of access points for renewable energy producers that can be exploited by hackers. All the technology being installed has also forced utilities to spend millions on cyber security. That spending is expected to continue as more smart meters and other technological advancements improve power grids. Annabelle Lee, senior technical executive at the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute, says work to improve the power grid is worth the risk, as it will ultimately make power grids more efficient. To bolster security the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved several rules that are designed to protect infrastructure and reliability. Those rules will go into effect in 2016. Those rules require utilities that handle more than 100 kilovolts of electricity to determine what assets are high, medium, and low. Further, the utilities must develop a security plan for each category.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 23:45:06 +0000
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