System Engineering Approaches to Electric Grid Cybersecurity Challenges

[WEBINAR AVAILABLE]

System Engineering Approaches to Electric Grid Cybersecurity Challenges

Like many other systems of systems, the electric grid is facing challenges as devices originally intended to be either standalone or locally networked are now being connected to the Internet. In addition, the electric grid is facing unique challenges as the need to reduce carbon output is resulting in rapidly increasing numbers of non-centralized distributed energy. Many renewable systems such as solar Photovoltaic (solar PV) are owned not by electric utilities, but by customers thus requiring new cyber controls to protect information flowing to and from the electric utility. Other unique electric grid cyber challenges include the need to meet the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) requirements and a business model being contested by non-profits such as the San Diego Community Choice Energy and the state of Illinois where over 2/3 of residents’ energy is supplied by community choice aggregators (CCAs).

System engineering techniques to address electric grid cyber challenges include:

• Cyber Enterprise Architecture
• Effective implementation of NERC CIP requirements
• Cyber security requirements for system procurement Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

In this webinar, EnerNex experts share system engineering strategies for developing cybersecurity requirements, architecture and performing cyber assessments.

 

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About the Presenters

Kay Stefferud, EnerNex Director of Implementation Services, is a TOGAF® 9 certified enterprise architect with over thirty-five years of experience in systems engineering, cyber security, architecture, program management, product development, renewable energy projects, commercial communications devices, software applications, real-time sensor systems, situational awareness and advanced energy resilient systems.

Brian Smith
bsmith@enernex.com
865-770-4853

 

Brian Smith, EnerNex Principal Consultant, has over 20 years of experience, including expertise in substation automation, utility communications, SCADA/EMS systems, and teleprotection applications. As a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), he has vast knowledge of communications and protocol technologies.

Related Resource

• [Article published in T&D World April 2019] Systems Engineering Approaches to Address Cybersecurity Challenges of the Electric Grid
• [Blog] System Engineering Cyber Security Approaches for Distribution, Transmission and Generation Systems