Cybersecurity Archives

How Unified Physical Security Solutions are Helping Utilities

Written by Thomasina Martin on December 16, 2024. Posted in Cybersecurity.

In the US, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors ranging from Food and Agriculture to Manufacturing, Communications, Public Health, Transportation, and Energy & Utilities. These sectors are so vital that any incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on the nation’s stability. Among these sectors, the Energy & Utilities sector stands out for its foundational role in supporting all the others. A reliable energy supply is crucial for economic growth, public health, and national welfare. Without...

GridEx VII Reveals Continuing Challenges of Post-Covid Hybrid Work, Communications and Technology

Written by Curtis Marquardt on June 29, 2024. Posted in Cybersecurity.

In November 2023, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) and its Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) conducted the seventh biennial GridEx. “GridEx is one of the largest and most comprehensive security drawings that are done in any critical infrastructure sector,” said Manny Cancel, senior vice president and CEO of E-ISAC. “It has been going on for more than 14 years, and the purpose of the drill is to really exercise and stress our incident response plans in the face of serious cyber and physical security scenarios.” Interview with Manny Cancel GridEx...

How to Protect Utility Customers from Scams: A Conversation with Utilities United Against Scams Executive Director Michelle Martinez

Written by Curtis Marquardt on May 30, 2024. Posted in Cybersecurity.

With the rapid advancement of AI and other technologies, utility customers are going to face increasing and more deceptive scam efforts than ever before. This, of course, means that utility organizations will have an increasingly difficult task of educating and informing customers about utility-related scams they may encounter. Utility Security magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Curtis Marquardt Jr., sat down with Monica Martinez, the executive director for Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS). UUAS is a consortium of more than 150 U.S. and Canadian electric, water and natural gas utilities and trade...

Driven to Protect

Written by Curtis Marquardt on February 29, 2024. Posted in Cybersecurity.

If you were to Google the term “utility security expert,” a name that appears at the top of the list is Brian Harrell—and for good reason. Harrell has the distinguished honor of having served in key security leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. Currently, Harrell oversees physical security, cybersecurity, privacy, intelligence and business continuity units for Avangrid, an energy company with operations across 25 states. Prior to that, Harrell was appointed by the President of the United States in 2018 to serve as the sixth assistant secretary for infrastructure protection...

The Emerging Cybersecurity Threats and Solutions of Artificial Intelligence (And Some Resources to Help Ready You for Both)

Written by Curtis Marquardt on February 29, 2024. Posted in Cybersecurity.

As artificial intelligence solutions continue to grow into the pop culture lexicon, many envision this technology as the beginning of a dystopian nightmare that ends with us cowering away from the red glowing eye of an Arnold Schwarzenegger-skinned robot. But while the threats of a doomed Terminator-esque fate loom in the imaginations of some, others are imagining ways this evolving technology will empower utility cybersecurity professionals to improve their security posture in ways that were previously not possible. We sat down with cybersecurity and AI expert James Edgar to learn about the...