90% of Energy Security Pros Say We Need Smart Grid Security Standards

April 26, 2012
nCircle has announced the results of a survey of 104 security professionals in the energy and utility industry.

nCircle has announced the results of a survey of 104 security professionals in the energy and utility industry. nCircle and EnergySec, a DOE-funded, public-private partnership that works to enhance the cyber security of the electric infrastructure, jointly sponsored the survey. The online survey was conducted between March 12 and March 31, 2012.

Highlights of the study include:

  • 75% of energy security professionals believe smart grid security has not been adequately addressed in smart grid deployment
  • 72% of energy security professionals believe smart grid security standards aren’t moving fast enough to keep up with deployment

"Security has been addressed to varying degrees in many smart grid deployments, however it is going to be a challenge to keep pace with the constantly changing security landscape,” said Patrick Miller, CEO of EnergySec. “The analog and mechanical devices installed in most utilities were designed for a very different maintenance model than newer digital equipment being designed and installed today."

Elizabeth Ireland, vice president of marketing for nCircle noted, “It’s pretty clear that information security professionals in the energy industry are uncomfortable with standards currently available for smart grid technology. Defining and implementing meaningful security standards is always a challenge but without standards, adoption of critical security controls across the smart grid industry is likely to be uneven at best.”

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