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 […]

Utility security professionals know it takes a multilayered approach to have effective security. What might not be known is just how multilayered the financial impact of false alarms can be to a utility. We sat down with Yaron Zussman from Magos to talk about the bottom-line costs of false alarms and what your organization can […]

As headlines continue to reinforce, cyberattackers are increasingly putting utilities’ operational technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) security to the test—some with the intent of disruption at a societal scale. A recently issued warning by U.S. and international cyber authorities cites efforts by pro-Russian hacktivists to exploit vulnerable OT systems at utilities across North […]

What a year it has been! We here at Utility Security magazine are proud of the year one success of this publication. After 20 years serving the utility industry with our safety publication, Incident Prevention magazine, and our fleet management publication, Utility Fleet Professional, we know from experience that a launch is no easy feat. […]

Ahead of Utility Security magazine attending the Utility Technology Association’s (UTA) annual conference earlier this year in October, we had a chance to speak with the organization’s president to learn more about the UTA, their annual event and what cybersecurity concerns are shaping their members’ discussions and efforts.   Can you tell our readers about […]

Utility and critical infrastructure protection will have a prominent role at ISC East in November. With its location in New York City and a regional reach from Boston to Washington, D.C., ISC East—the smaller brother of the nation’s largest security trade show, ISC West—this year will be putting extra emphasis on critical infrastructure and the […]

Will your critical substation survive an attack? How would you know? We install security systems to protect our substations. Critical sites would likely include some kind of barrier, like a fence or a wall; a video surveillance system (VSS); an access control system, combining a locking mechanism with a card reader or PIN pad; lighting; […]

The theft of copper from unmanned substations threatens public safety and the reliability of the supply of electricity. The best way to fight this is with a strategy that involves utilities, the community, vendors and other electricity sector asset owners/operators. A campaign of this scope needs executive attention and support. It is too important to […]

The Greek historian and general Thucydides stated, “Hope is an expensive commodity. It makes better sense to be prepared.” This statement is as true today as it was 2,500 years ago. For utility security professionals, this maxim speaks to the nonchalant attitude toward substation and infrastructure security that many of us have or face from […]

It is not “if” but “when” for a major and nefarious event happens involving Small Unmanned Aircraft (sUAS) like drones. There is a distinct lack of urgency across all levels of government about security, safety and emergency preparedness given the rise of drones and their rapidly maturing capabilities and demonstrated use cases. The question is: […]