Four experienced organizations servicing the utility industry have partnered to help electric utilities meet the challenges surrounding grid resiliency, protection, and compliance. Pike Corporation, Freeh Group International Solutions, Procinctu Group, and SOS Intl have come together to form Grid Security Solutions (GSS).
GSS offers Transmission Owners and Transmission Operators comprehensive, step- by-step solutions for meeting the NERC Physical Security Standard (CIP-014), as well as broad grid resiliency issues. By combining experience and expertise, GSS provides specific and targeted recommendations to protect a utility’s physical assets. GSS will guide utilities through the entire physical security process, eliminating the need to hire and manage multiple companies.
This unique consortium provides utilities with experienced professionals in each area of CIP-014, including compliance and audits, third-party threat assessments, transmission and system planning and analysis, coordination plans with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and development and deployment of the actual security protection.
“GSS is the only provider offering turnkey solutions to address grid resiliency and the complete North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Standard as a single entity,” said J. Eric Pike, CEO of Pike Corporation, part of the GSS consortium. “While other companies may target individual sections of the Standard, utilities are excited that GSS is addressing the entire Standard without outsourcing pieces of the solution.”
GSS members have extensive experience working with Transmission Owners and Transmission Operators, as well as multiple aspects of security. This allows GSS to create tailored solutions for each utility, considering its unique and specific requirements. Formally trained by the Department of Defense and fully certified by the American Society for Industrial Security, GSS identifies vulnerabilities, recommends appropriate counter-measures, and designs and deploys security system enhancements. The GSS goal is to produce cost-effective, practical solutions that reduce risk and meet the NERC Physical Security requirements for the national electrical grid, as well as develop detailed plans for recovery in the event of an incident.
