The Project Grey Goose Report on Critical Infrastructure says attacks against the power grid are expected to increase over the next year. GreyLogic CEO Jeffrey Carr, who authored the report, says since 2001 there has been “at least 120 instances” where utilities have already been the target of cyber hackers. The report warns that number may increase as the transition from isolated, closed energy-generation and transmission networks to IP-based and wireless ones increases as more smart grid projects are undertaken.
security
‘Window of opportunity for malicious intent’ as energy firms roll out smart-grid pilot programs
Attacks against the power grid are likely to rise and intensify during the next 12 months as smart grid research and pilot projects advance, according to utility security experts and a recently published report that analyzes threats to critical infrastructure.
The so-called Project Grey Goose Report on Critical Infrastructure points to state and/or non-state sponsored hackers from the Russian Federation of Independent States, Turkey, and China as the main threats to targeting and hacking into energy providers and other critical infrastructure networks.
via Spike In Power Grid Attacks Likely In Next 12 Months – Donna’s SecurityFlash.
As cyber security becomes increasingly important in the fabric of American culture and government, more money and research is being put towards securing the smart grid. This so-called smart grid refers to the system that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using two-way digital technology. This is modernized electrical system being used to address problems of energy independence, global warming, and emergency resilience issues. Cyber attacks on such a system could cause massive damage and could possibly bring an entire community or nation to its knees. Pike Research recently stated that annual spending on smart grid cybersecurity will more than triple from $1.2 billion to $3.7 billion in 2015.
via Possible Hack Leads to Increased Spending on Smart Grid Power Protection | BrickHouse Security Blog.
In Washington, where big brains often confront such matters, it’s understood that a smart grid rollout could overwhelm current safeguards for privacy and data security. News that the government is working on it may calm some fears — or might not, depending on one’s faith in federal initiatives.
via Feds Moving Forward on Smart Grid Security and Privacy : Greentech Media.
Unknown hackers have taken out US cellphone networks in an ongoing cyber-attack that will soon knock out parts of the nation’s electricity grid – say the officials who helped plan today’s mock assault on the nation’s defences.
The 3-hour event began at 10 am EST (3 pm GMT) and will quickly escalate from cellphone networks to attack the US power supply by taking advantage of vulnerabilities in smart grid technologies, says Matthew Stern, head of cyber accounts for defence contractor General Dynamics.
via US networks and power grid under (mock) cyber-attack – tech – 16 February 2010 – New Scientist.
In 10-12 years from now, the whole Utilities and energy market will look dramatically different. Decentralization of energy production with consumers converting to prosumers pumping solar energy into the grid and offering their electric car batteries as storage facilities, spot markets for the masses offering electricity on demand with a fully transparent price fixing (energy in a defined region at a defined time can be cheaper, if the sun is shining or the wind is blowing strong), and smart meters in each home being able to automatically contract such energy from spot markets and then tell the washing machine to start working as soon as electricity price falls under a defined line. And – if we think a bit further and apply Google-like business models to the energy market, we can get an idea of the incredible size this market will develop into.
via Identity Management is key to Smart Grid Security | Joerg Resch.
Privacy experts are concerned about a myriad of security risks associated with the latest “Smart Meter” technology -devices that when installed would measure the level of personal power usage in homes and businesses.
Privacy expert and Executive Director of ACCESS, Jim Malmberg, offers his insight on this issue to help raise awareness and urge readers to provide their comments on the government's proposed plan by February 19th.
via Privacy Experts Raise Concerns over Smart-Grid Technology – Denise Richardson.
The report Smart Grid Cyber Security analyses smart grid cyber security market trends in terms of business drivers, technologies, standards, objectives, and business requirements. The report segments the cyber security market by five major smart grid application areas: transmission upgrades, substation automation, distribution automation, electric vehicle management systems, and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).
via Security News – Smart Grid Cyber Security Market to Reach $3.7 billion by 2015 Says New Report.
Utility companies around the world will invest $21 billion in smart grid security efforts between 2010 and 2015, according to estimates released in a new report.
They’re being spurred on by the U.S. Department of Energy’s smart grid stimulus programs, and the need to secure smart grid deployments that are becoming more and more technology-reliant and vulnerable to infiltration and compromise.
via Feds Will Spur Smart Grid Cyber-Security Investment Growth to $21 Billion by 2015, Report Claims.
Utility companies will invest more than $21 billion on cybersecurity over the next five years to protect the world's electrical grids, according to a new report.
With cybersecurity a top priority for the United States and other governments, more money is going into protecting the so-called smart grid, according to Pike Research. The firm forecasts that annual spending on smart grid cybersecurity will more than triple from $1.2 billion last year to $3.7 billion in 2015.
via Utilities To Bolster Smart Grid Cybersecurity — Cybersecurity — InformationWeek.
The second draft of the Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and Requirements released last week provides more detail about the Herculean task of securing the nation’s modernized electrical infrastructure.
The draft looks at anything that could threaten the Smart Grid from terrorists to simple but potentially disastrous errors.
via Smart Grid cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified – SmartPlanet.
New technologies challenge our ability to manage them. Do you recall that many users of social networks like MySpace and Facebook were chagrined to discover that their personal information has achieved immortality on the Internet? In many cases, users failed to appreciate the ramifications of their decisions about sharing information. The harm in some cases in which privacy was compromised was mere embarrassment, but in other scenarios the damage could be more serious.
Could the new personal energy consumption data that will be available through new Smart Grid technologies and services have the potential for malicious as well as beneficial use? The answer is yes.
The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued today the second draft of its Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and Requirements, which now identifies more than 120 interfaces that will link diverse devices, systems and organizations engaged in two-way flows of electricity and information and classifies these connections according to the level of damage that could result from a security breach.
Prepared by the NIST-led Cyber Security Working Group, which has more than 350 members, the new draft report expands upon an earlier preliminary version, which was released by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke last September and underwent 60 days of public review. It incorporates responses to the more than 350 individual comments received.
via NIST Issues Expanded Draft of Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy For Public Review and Comment.
We have been working on Smart Grid security lately, and it is indeed quite interesting. It is essentially the single largest global technology project mankind has ever witnessed. The intent of the the project is to place every single node electricity touches on the Smart Grid. In stage 1 it is limited to Smart Meters replacing the classic analog meters found throughout the world. In stage x it will extend to everything in the home (ostensibly).
Plans for all business electricity suppliers to offer smart energy meters by the end of 2020 may be thwarted by concerns over data security.
Energy and climate change minister Lord Hunt revealed at the end of 2009 that £6 million would be invested to develop smart technology meters, designed to reduce energy bills and increase energy efficiency.
via Smart meter plans for business electricity customers may be put on hold – Make It Cheaper.
