What role does security play in the NERC CIP?
Though nominally directed at “critical infrastructure,” the NERC CIP is all about management of cyber assets (IT infrastructure) — the systems that support the operation of the bulk electric system. Because much of the infrastructure supporting the bulk electric power system is IP-based, the NERC CIP standards provide guidelines for the identification and management of critical cyber assets, as well as the security (both physical and cyber) of those assets. And, while many of the disaster scenarios facing the electric grid concern natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, increased attention in recent years on cyberattacks on utilities has raised the specter of terrorist- or state-sponsored attacks on the electric grid. MORE INFO: Experts alarmed over U.S. electrical grid penetration Experts say the government should act quickly or face the consequences of having the nation’s infrastructure crippled by cyberterrorists.
