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ICT Is 'Weakest Link' in the Electrical Grid, Exposing Utilities to Cyber Attacks
Green Technology Featured Articles
May 22, 2013

ICT Is 'Weakest Link' in the Electrical Grid, Exposing Utilities to Cyber Attacks

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

The recent use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) within the electrical grid has created system vulnerabilities to hacking and cyber-attacks, according to a report just released by London-based ABI Research (News - Alert). The group estimates that spending on cybersecurity solutions to secure the infrastructure will total $2.9 billion globally by the end of 2013.


And we have nobody to blame but ourselves: The study finds that, in the process of restructuring the power sector and building out the smart grid, the energy industry has largely ignored the issue of cybersecurity. Today, the world’s energy distribution infrastructure is no longer an isolated platform; it has evolved into an open and networked environment in which the subversion of power control systems has become a reality. Industrial control systems have poor methods of authentication, little encryption, and are not capable of detecting intrusions with any certainty.

“Cyber-attacks that can cause serious damage to electrical grids are a reality. Operators need to view cybersecurity as a core, integrated requirement of their offering—and not as a secondary add-on,” commented ABI’s Senior Analyst for Cyber Security, Michela Menting.

Efforts by governments and standardization bodies to tackle vulnerabilities within power control systems are raising the level of awareness. This is in turn driving a dedicated market in cyber security for critical infrastructure, targeting the security of industrial control systems, substations and advanced metering capabilities.

Manufacturers such as GE, Siemens (News - Alert), and Honeywell offer dedicated cybersecurity services to accompany their ICS product offerings. Other larger, niche vendors—such as Advantech, AGT International, AlertEnterprise, and Maxim Integrated—offer specialized supervisory control and data acquisition(SCADA) security solutions; and companies including 4Secure, OwlComputing Technologies, and DNV KEMA propose expert consulting services.

What’s more is that a number of energy companies have made significant efforts at implementing a cybersecurity culture within their electric grid operations, such as Alliander, Enel, and E.On Nordic.

 

A Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI (News - Alert))

In related news, ABI Research and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)a specialized agency of the United Nations that is responsible for issues that concern information and communication technologies—have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop a Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI).

The GCI will measure the cybersecurity development capabilities of 193 sovereign nation states against recommended best practice standards in five categories: legal measures; technical measures; organizational measures; capacity building; and cooperation.

In doing so, it will enable member nations, as well as over 700 private-sector entities and academic institutions, to assess where they need to make further improvements and how far they are from implementing an acceptable level of cybersecurity.

The partnership will lean on the respective strengths of both parties in order to develop a comprehensive index. The ITU has a long-standing agenda for developing cybersecurity capabilities at the government level. The IMPACT (International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats) collaboration is a token of the ITU’s efforts to foster international cybersecurity development.




Edited by Ashley Caputo


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