The Past, Present, and Future of Securing Electric Power Systems

This paper first provides a look back at the last 10 years of security events that have shaped the electric power industry, then it provides a commentary on the current state of security in the North American Electric Utility sector. This paper does not only point out the issues, but also concludes with practical information on how to physically and electronically secure electric power systems. These solutions are future-proof, meaning that investments made in these categories will not only comply with current NERC CIP requirements, but will continue to secure power systems into the future as the standards continue to evolve. The content in this paper is the result from performing over 90 security assessments and architecture design projects specifically for securing electric power systems.