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Utility Security Magazine Reports in Live at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) Conference

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportunities to utility cybersecurity and technology professionals.     Tune […]

Mastering the three “Cs” of Security: Clarity, Communication and Consistency

As the Assassination Attempt that happened on July 13th Demonstrated, a Failure of Clarity, Communication and/or Consistency Can Lead to Devastating Consequences. It’s Vital that Your Substation Security Strategy Offers Certainty in All Three Areas. Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I often refer to this quote in […]

Utility Security Deep Dive – Strategies for Protecting Critical Infrastructure

In this episode of the Utility Security Podcast, host Curtis Marquardt sits down with Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, to discuss the critical aspects of securing utility infrastructure. Frank shares his extensive experience in crime prevention, physical security, and crisis management. The conversation covers real-world examples of security measures in mining, […]

Knowing Your Risks and Vulnerabilities and How to Prioritize Budget to Close Gaps

Welcome to the Utility Security Podcast, your command center for all things utility security! From power plant warriors to grid guardians, this podcast is your essential briefing on the latest vulnerabilities, industry best practices, and inspiring stories of resilience from frontline heroes keeping our grids secure. Join us as we interview security chiefs, tech wizards, […]

Green Protection: Two Perspectives on How to Effectively Plan and Implement a Security Strategy for Renewable Energy Sources 

Whether it’s solar, geothermal, wind or hydro, utilities are implementing more renewable energy generation sources than ever before. But with their rapid march toward these green energy sources come some new and distinct security challenges.  To learn about what risks to consider and strategies to implement, I had a conversation with Idaho National Laboratory’s Emma […]

Homeland Security Conference Provides Attendees with New Insights to Threats

As threats increase in size, scope and variety for security professionals, it can feel like the thermostat is turned up for all to feel the increased heat that comes with addressing those threats. So, as attendees arrived in the hot summer Miami Beach sun to attend the Homeland Security Conference this July, the local weather […]

Protecting Water Utilities from Drone Threats: Understanding the Steps of a Drone Security Methodology that Support the J100 framework

The small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) ecosystem can seem overwhelmingly complex, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The wars in the Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, Ukraine, and now Gaza have proven that we need to pay attention to the threat that drone technology poses to our critical infrastructure. The use cases of this […]
Know your Diamonds from your pencils

Know Your Diamonds from Your Pencils: Talking All Things Physical Security with SERC’s Travis Moran

An in-Depth Conversation About Physical Security Strategies, Dealing with Emerging Threats, Robotic Dogs, Preventing Theft, Where Regulations are Heading and More
Curtis Marquardt Jr.: Can you tell our readers more about your background and what you do for SERC Reliability Corporation.? Travis Moran: I began my career in law enforcement, first as an analyst with Interpol. After several years, I joined the U.S. State Department as a special agent, where I served for six-and-a-half years. I […]
Critical Decision Making Progress - Substation Security

Substation Security Challenges: The Importance of the Critical Decision Making Process

The most commonly used decision-making process is conjecture-based; we use it countless times daily. We go through life making decisions based on assumptions, speculation and whimsy, with little thought to impact or outcomes. However, when it comes to security, especially substation security, our decisions have consequences. For these decisions, we need a better decision-making method. We need a reliable technique that can produce sound decisions and stand up to intense scrutiny.
The most commonly used decision-making process is conjecture-based; we use it countless times daily. We go through life making decisions based on assumptions, speculation and whimsy, with little thought to impact or outcomes. However, when it comes to security, especially substation security, our decisions have consequences. For these decisions, we need a better decision-making method. […]
Duke article illustration

Forging a Secure Tomorrow: Duke Energy’s Path to a More Resilient Future

An Interview with Mark Aysta, Duke Energy’s Managing Director of Enterprise Security
There’s a great quote by Confucius that says: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” And it’s truly applicable for security professionals because no matter how much one plans, strategizes and fully commits to preventing an incident, along comes something that challenges those efforts in ways that […]

Utility Security Magazine Reports in Live at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) Conference

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportu…
As the Assassination Attempt that happened on July 13th Demonstrated, a Failure of Clarity, Communication and/or Consistency Can Lead to Devastating Consequences. It’s Vital that Your Substation Security Strategy Offers Certainty in All Three Areas. Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I often refer to this quote in the training programs I conduct because I believe it holds true for utility security in general, especially when it comes to effective substation security. That’s why my previous articles have focused on the more abstract aspects of subs…
In this episode of the Utility Security Podcast, host Curtis Marquardt sits down with Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, to discuss the critical aspects of securing utility infrastructure. Frank shares his extensive experience in crime prevention, physical se…
Welcome to the Utility Security Podcast, your command center for all things utility security! From power plant warriors to grid guardians, this podcast is your essential briefing on the latest vulnerabilities, industry best practices, and inspiring stories of resilience from frontline heroes ke…

Whether it’s solar, geothermal, wind or hydro, utilities are implementing more renewable energy generation sources than ever before. But with their rapid march toward these green energy sources come some new and distinct security challenges.  To learn about what risks to consider and strategies to implement, I had a conversation with Idaho National Laboratory’s Emma Mary Stewart, an expert in renewable energy and security, and Courtney Samp from Avangrid, a security strategy expert who helped coordinate a strategy for the third-largest renewables operator in the nation.  Along the way…
As threats increase in size, scope and variety for security professionals, it can feel like the thermostat is turned up for all to feel the increased heat that comes with addressing those threats. So, as attendees arrived in the hot summer Miami Beach sun to attend the Homeland Security Conferenc…
The small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) ecosystem can seem overwhelmingly complex, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The wars in the Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, Ukraine, and now Gaza have proven that we need to pay attention to the threat that drone technology poses to our critical infrastru…

Know your Diamonds from your pencils
An in-Depth Conversation About Physical Security Strategies, Dealing with Emerging Threats, Robotic Dogs, Preventing Theft, Where Regulations are Heading and More
Curtis Marquardt Jr.: Can you tell our readers more about your background and what you do for SERC Reliability Corporation.? Travis Moran: I began my career in law enforcement, first as an analyst with Interpol. After several years, I joined the U.S. State Department as a special agent, wher…
Critical Decision Making Progress - Substation Security
The most commonly used decision-making process is conjecture-based; we use it countless times daily. We go through life making decisions based on assumptions, speculation and whimsy, with little thought to impact or outcomes. However, when it comes to security, especially substation security, our decisions have consequences. For these decisions, we need a better decision-making method. We need a reliable technique that can produce sound decisions and stand up to intense scrutiny.
The most commonly used decision-making process is conjecture-based; we use it countless times daily. We go through life making decisions based on assumptions, speculation and whimsy, with little thought to impact or outcomes. However, when it comes to security, especially substation security, our…

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Utility Security Magazine Reports in Live at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) Conference

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportun…

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Utility Security Magazine Reports in Live at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) Conference

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportu…
As the Assassination Attempt that happened on July 13th Demonstrated, a Failure of Clarity, Communication and/or Consistency Can Lead to Devastating Consequences. It’s Vital that Your Substation Security Strategy Offers Certainty in All Three Areas. Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can kno…

In this episode of the Utility Security Podcast, host Curtis Marquardt sits down with Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, to discuss the critical aspects of securing utility infrastructure. Frank shares his extensive experience in crime prevention, physical se…
Welcome to the Utility Security Podcast, your command center for all things utility security! From power plant warriors to grid guardians, this podcast is your essential briefing on the latest vulnerabilities, industry best practices, and inspiring stories of resilience from frontline heroes ke…
Whether it’s solar, geothermal, wind or hydro, utilities are implementing more renewable energy generation sources than ever before. But with their rapid march toward these green energy sources come some new and distinct security challenges.  To learn about what risks to consider and strategie…
As threats increase in size, scope and variety for security professionals, it can feel like the thermostat is turned up for all to feel the increased heat that comes with addressing those threats. So, as attendees arrived in the hot summer Miami Beach sun to attend the Homeland Security Conferenc…

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportunities to utility cybersecurity and technology professionals.

 

 

Tune in to stay updated and informed about securing our nation’s utilities!

Subscribe to Utility Security Magazine at no cost! – https://utilitysecurity.com/subscribe-now/

As the Assassination Attempt that happened on July 13th Demonstrated, a Failure of Clarity, Communication and/or Consistency Can Lead to Devastating Consequences. It’s Vital that Your Substation Security Strategy Offers Certainty in All Three Areas. Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I often refer to this quote in the training programs I conduct because I believe it holds true for utility security in general, especially when it comes to effective substation security. That’s why my previous articles have focused on the more abstract aspects of substation security rather than specific issues like ballistic barriers, fencing or lighting. While we will cover those topics later, it’s important to first grasp the abstract skills, traits and habits that can lead to improved and long-lasting substation and infrastructure security. Most of us take an arbitrary approach to substation security. We’ll sling one promising solution after another against the wall to see what sticks. When we hear about the latest gear, gadget or technique, we contact the vendor to have them readily explain, “Of course, it’s the answer to all your substation security needs,” only to expend our limited time and capital resources on solutions that don’t address our needs at all.  It’s essential to fully understand the specific threats we’re up against, including their root causes and possible outcomes. We also need to be knowledgeable about strategies, techniques and defenses that can be employed to deal with these threats. This involves staying informed about developments and solutions, as well as continuous research and analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of cutting-edge security practices and technologies. In recent months, we’ve talked about the risks of relying on unverified assumptions and the significance of making critical decisions. The necessity of being skilled in both areas became evident on July 13, 2024, near Butler, Pennsylvania, when an amateur assassin attempted to shoot a high-profile presidential candidate. Although the assailant failed to achieve their objective, they still managed to injure the target and cause lethal collateral damage. The assailant, with a rifle in tow, was able to climb onto the roof of an adjacent structure and successfully engage his target despite a multi-jurisdictional security presence. The sole reason for the extensive, multilayered security footprint was to protect the intended victim by identifying and eliminating such threats.  The shooter’s ability to bypass security, enter the secure zone, access a restricted roof and obtain a clear line of sight of the intended victim exposed numerous security failures. Although the on-site security teams were thought to have the necessary skills to intervene before the attack, they failed to do so. So, how did this serious security lapse happen? We will wait for the formal investigations to provide an answer to that question. Instead, we will analyze some of the security failures apparent from an application perspective. Ironically, these include failures in verifying assumptions and failures in utilizing critical decision-making skills – the very skills we discussed in previous articles. Other conspicuous security shortfalls include unclear roles and responsibilities, ineffective communication strategies and inconsistent implementation. So, let’s examine the impact of clarity, communication and consistency – three skills or traits that were noticeably absent on July 13th – and their impact on substation and infrastructure security. Clarity is a simple word with a profound meaning Webster’s Dictionary states:  Clarity is the quality of being clear: such as
  1.   the quality of being easily understood
  2.   the state of having a full, detailed and orderly mental grasp of something
  Clarity should always be a priority in the security sector. For instance, when it comes to information in the utility security sector, ambiguity is always a vulnerability, information must always be clear, concise and precise. When assigning a task to an individual or a project to a team, it’s essential that expectations, roles, responsibilities, tasks, accountability, authority and chain of command are clearly defined. In team settings, every team member should have a precise understanding of specifically what is expected of the team, including goals, objectives, anticipated outcomes and communication channels. Each team member should fully grasp their specific roles, functions and responsibilities, as well as those of their fellow team members (i.e., who does what, when and where). It’s important to maintain clarity when sending and receiving information. When you receive information, you should take the time to fully understand the subject, goals, directions, expected outcomes and other relevant details. When relaying information, make sure the recipient understands it correctly. One way to do this is by following the military protocol of having important information repeated back to confirm clarity. In the critical incident on July 13th, the lack of clear roles, responsibilities and expectations for the various law enforcement agencies caused confusion. It was uncertain who was supposed to do what, how to communicate urgent information and what response options were available. The lack of clarity resulted in a disjointed security approach that left significant gaps in perimeter protection, slowed the actions of neutralizing the assailant and delayed the extraction of the protectee from the venue. How does clarity impact substation and infrastructure security? The importance of clarity in substation and critical infrastructure security cannot be overstated. It’s a fundamental truth that for any aspect of security, an accurate picture of who, what, when, where and how many is always necessary. Clarity provides the means for recognizing threats, responding to incidents and remedying them and effectively transferring security-focused information. Another fundamental truth is that you can’t defend against a threat until you’re aware that it’s a threat. We are constantly exposed to countless threats but have limited resources to respond to them. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the most significant and impactful threats in order to know what to defend against. This requires having a clear understanding of the threat landscape. Clarity is crucial in incident response. Precise information, clear descriptions and unambiguous details are essential in real-time response, as well as in post-event forensics and investigations. In a violent encounter, a lack of clarity can have fatal consequences. Similarly, a lack of clarity during incident investigations can result in incorrect conclusions and inaccurate determinations. For utility security practitioners, clarity is an essential element of daily life. Whether engaging with vendors to discuss new substation security requirements or communicating up and down the chain of command, clarity is crucial.  In information transfer, it’s important to ensure that the recipient of information understands the message clearly, concisely and accurately. If you’re providing the information, it’s your responsibility to ensure effective message transfer. If you’re the recipient, it’s also your responsibility to make sure you understand the message accurately. This takes effort, but as the person with security responsibility, it’s crucial to ensure clarity through effective communication. Effective communication requires intent and planning. Effective communication is crucial and should be clear, timely and consistent. Whether communicating with vendors, coworkers, security colleagues or threat actors, poorly delivered communication can be a proverbial train wreck. In regular interactions, inaccurate or missing information can be costly; in active threat situations, it can be deadly. Accurate document information is an essential form of communication in utility security. Inaccurate information can be unprofessional and costly when purchasing equipment or defining a scope of work. Precision in reports, studies and proposals is crucial. A well-written document always sets professionals apart from amateurs. While elegance isn’t necessary, accuracy is essential in professional documents.  It is important to understand that effective communication requires planning. Depending on the size and complexity of an event or project, communication planning can be a complicated chore. Communication planning for real-time interaction and information relay during an event is often overlooked or dismissed as inconsequential. However, time and again, poorly organized and uncoordinated approaches to communication have decimated what was otherwise effective security plans.  The assassination attempt on July 13th underscores how inadequate communication planning can impact security. The perpetrator was identified as he climbed onto the building and into his firing position. Spectators at the event noticed him on the roof and alerted a local law enforcement officer. However, with no communication plan in place, there was no mechanism for communicating the threat to security teams from other agencies. Since the officer didn’t have a clear line of communication, the presence of an active threat wasn’t relayed to the members of the protection detail or the countersniper teams. This allowed the shooter to take up his position and carry out the attack. The failure to develop and implement a clear, concise and actionable communication strategy had lethal consequences. It is easy to overlook communication planning because it doesn’t become a problem until a critical incident occurs, which is, thankfully, a rate event. However, when an incident does take place, the consequences of poor communication planning can be catastrophic. Whether you are developing a communication strategy for a major event or creating an intrusion response protocol for your critical infrastructure, communication planning is essential. Communication planning is a thankless but absolutely necessary task that requires consistent application. Consistency is the glue that holds all other security applications together. Without consistent application, you have untenable conditions that are vulnerable to attack. One of the most interesting things about application inconsistencies is how easy they are to recognize and exploit. We are happy to go the extra mile to engage in active security practices when things are fresh and new, but every security practice quickly becomes mundane and tasks become routine. It’s a poorly kept secret that on any given day, more than half of all security protocols are being “phoned in.” We quickly become victims of tedium suffering from both change and inattentional blindness. The issue is that threat actors are aware of this phenomenon and will readily exploit it.  Consistency requires both effort and discipline. Overcoming the mind-numbing effects of routine takes concerted effort and having the will to complete yet another communication plan that you fully expect to never be needed takes real discipline. When it comes to substation and infrastructure security, it takes consistency to continually follow through with security practices whose only apparent accomplishments are wasting time. But reality is far different. Threat actors pay close attention to how security practices are routinely carried out. They look for vulnerabilities and inconsistencies that can be exploited.  The lack of satisfaction exacerbates the problem of consistency. Since surveillance is almost always covert, we rarely experience the satisfaction of knowing that our continual follow-through on security practices makes a difference or that our consistent application of mundane security protocols matters. As security professionals, it’s important to maintain consistency in our security practices and to encourage others to do the same. However, it’s important to recognize that you cannot expect others to consistently fulfill their security responsibilities if you are inconsistent in performing yours. As a security practitioner, you must be the leader when it comes to consistency.    On July 13th, it became clear that relying solely on technique and presence is not enough. You must possess effective intangible security skills and hone professional traits, such as avoiding unverified assumptions and utilizing critical decision-making skills. As a security practitioner, it’s essential to recognize the significance of clarity, communication and consistency in utility security and their impact on substation and infrastructure security.  About the Author: Jim Willis is president of InDev Tactical, a security training and consulting firm. He is an electrical engineer, an experienced utility professional and a credentialed homeland security specialist and anti-terrorism expert. If you want to discuss utility-focused security training or consulting assistance, you can reach Jim at 703-623-6819 or jim.willis@indevtactical.net.

Utility Security Deep Dive – Strategies for Protecting Critical Infrastructure

In this episode of the Utility Security Podcast, host Curtis Marquardt sits down with Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, to discuss the critical aspects of securing utility infrastructure. Frank shares his extensive experience in crime prevention, physical security, and crisis management. The conversation covers real-world examples of security measures in mining, substations, and utility facilities, as well as the growing threat posed by extremist groups. Frank offers actionable insights on risk management, crisis response, and the importance of involvi…

Welcome to the Utility Security Podcast, your command center for all things utility security! From power plant warriors to grid guardians, this podcast is your essential briefing on the latest vulnerabilities, industry best practices, and inspiring stories of resilience from frontline heroes keeping our grids secure. Join us as we interview security chiefs, tech wizards, and policy shapers to bring you expert intel and insights.

In this episode, we sat down with Shawn Wallace, the Director of Critical Infrastructure for Unlimited Technology, and Glenn Engel, the Global Business Resilience and Security Manager for the AES Corporation, to get their insightful perspectives on how to best evaluate risk, prioritize assets and align your spend in ways that build a truly effective security posture. 

#UtilitySecurity #GridProtection #InfrastructureSecurity #SecurityPodcast #ExpertInsights #FutureProofing #ExtremeWeather #TechInnovation #Resilience

Tune in to stay updated and informed about securing our nation’s utilities!

Subscribe to Utility Security Magazine at no cost! – https://utilitysecurity.com/subscribe-now/

Whether it’s solar, geothermal, wind or hydro, utilities are implementing more renewable energy generation sources than ever before. But with their rapid march toward these green energy sources come some new and distinct security challenges.  To learn about what risks to consider and strategies to implement, I had a conversation with Idaho National Laboratory’s Emma Mary Stewart, an expert in renewable energy and security, and Courtney Samp from Avangrid, a security strategy expert who helped coordinate a strategy for the third-largest renewables operator in the nation.  Along the way, they shared why we need to better assess vulnerabilities, why building strong relationships matter, how to address the threats of cyberattacks and much more.  Utility Security Magazine: As the industry continues to move rapidly toward reaching net-zero targets, there are massive investments in renewable energy. What security concerns do you see as this rapid expansion moves on? Emma Mary Stewart: Rapid expansion is both good and bad. Our supply chain, in particular for digital infrastructure, is really only now starting to see the investment in U.S. manufacturing come to fruition. Without the rapid expansion in renewable energy, we wouldn’t have a demand signal for that investment, so it’s been a chicken-and-egg problem. The burden of securing the infrastructure—or verifying its security—has been on asset owners, but the asset owner model is also shifting to third parties and nontraditional suppliers. We have a Venn diagram of risk here that must be addressed. It’s a global issue, not local. The world does need to shift toward a cleaner energy paradigm, but the localized aspects of cyber protection—which differ from the safety aspects—make the challenge a bit less clear.  Utility Security Magazine: Courtney, Avangrid has been very active in implementing renewable energy generation. Can you talk about some of the biggest security challenges that have come with that initiative? Courtney Samp: As the third-largest U.S. renewables operator, Avangrid is leading the way for U.S. renewable energy generation, with wind—offshore and onshore—and solar farms in 25 states. The company is also building the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S. Anytime you’re the first to accomplish these ambitious goals, the national attention makes security even more vital. One security challenge with renewable energy is the convergence of physical and cybersecurity, and that includes third-party vendors.  From a physical security perspective, renewable energy faces similar challenges and threats as nonrenewable sources. However, there are also organizations specifically opposed to renewable energy–which, in part, is because of the increase of misinformation and disinformation disseminated on social media about renewable energy. From the cyber side, renewable energy has more IT and OT equipment, especially when it comes to wind farms, which means more access points for threat actors. We assess offshore windfarms to be at higher risk given the additional connection points needed due to their remote nature. We’ve also seen an increase in cyber-threat actors exploiting global conflicts to advance cyberattacks on IT and OT equipment prior to conducting attacks against U.S.-based companies using the same equipment. The water facility cyberattacks late last year are a good example of this.  It’s also getting harder to disentangle physical and cyber as physical attacks could have numerous knock-on cyber implications and vice versa. The convergence of physical security and cybersecurity will not decrease over time but is expected to increase as the country becomes more reliant on renewable energy sources. Utility Security Magazine: Emma, what considerations must be factored in when building a cybersecurity plan to protect these new technologies? Emma Mary Stewart: There are many solutions to protect the devices we install, but because of their digital nature,  we also need to consider some of the features common in their design. For example, the communications to install updates in these devices are both a blessing and a curse. Without those, devices would likely remain unpatched. With them, we have an increased attack surface. At the most basic level, the guideline of no hardcoded passwords, and improving the access controls, would make a huge difference. We also need to consider how to better assess the vulnerabilities in the existing and future supply chain base as only around 15 percent of the companies on the market have a product security team.  Utility Security Magazine: Courtney, what best practices has your team at Avangrid discovered when planning security for renewable energy? Courtney Samp: Partnerships are key. Internally and at the local, state and federal level, partnerships are incredibly important. Security doesn’t work in a vacuum, so building not just partnerships but relationships remains vital to anticipating and mitigating risks.  Maintaining internal relationships are essential to effectively and immediately communicating  and mitigating emerging risks. The physical-threat landscape is never static, and the cyber-threat landscape changes rapidly, so having that constant open communication with physical security and cybersecurity ensures we’re all moving in the same direction.  We also have strong external relationships at the local, state and federal levels. Avangrid operates in 25 states, and the threat landscape is in constant flux and changes state to state. So, having those strong relationships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—as well as state intelligence centers—means we have specific names and numbers to call to ensure we are anticipating the right risks at the right time and implementing the right mitigation strategies.  Having these relationships also means we are communicating back what’s important to us. Critical infrastructure has the same threats and adversaries. If we’re seeing it, someone else is too—but they might have the resources to know it—which puts us all at risk.  Utility Security Magazine: To follow up on that, what sort of aspects in your renewable energy security planning process do you feel have been the most surprising? Courtney Samp: This process has shown me that the transition to renewable energy sources in the U.S. is happening at an interesting time. There’s a significant amount of money being directed toward advancements and improvements for the renewable energy transition, from how solar panels and wind turbines are manufactured to making parts last longer, disposing of old parts, and even how renewable energy is connected to the existing grid. This equates to more technology, which opens the door to more vulnerabilities, making cybersecurity more important than ever. Additionally, the ways artificial intelligence is and will be used for renewable energy in the future is exciting and scary. For example, AI has the power to streamline business processes to ensure more accurate data and predictions for grid planning. However, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having strong cybersecurity policies and training for any employee using AI. It’s also vital to have a full understanding of how all contracted third-party vendors are employing AI as that could affect your business too. Utility Security Magazine: One layer of complexity is that electric customers are buying their own renewable energy equipment and installing it in ways that connect to the grid. What security challenges come with that, and what strategies should security professionals be considering in relation to this?  Emma Mary Stewart: Reliance on people to perform cybersecurity assessments of their home generation solutions is a challenge. In the end, the devices themselves need to be designed in a cyber-informed manner for this shift to be successful, or have a degree of automated and secure configuration by default. I don’t believe we are there yet, but it is a shift the country will need to make as we shouldn’t rely on average customers or employees to be the first line of defense against sophisticated actors.  Courtney Samp: All distributed energy resources (DERs) have an impact on security strategy. As we continue to move forward in the renewable energy transition, I think the bigger focus is that DER policies pave the way for accessibility and connectivity to ensure continued sustainability.  Utility Security Magazine: One concern I often hear about is that the renewable energy technology and equipment being installed in homes and utilities is, for the most part, sourced from adversarial nations. How does sourcing components from overseas impact your security approach?  Courtney Samp: This question is one of my favorite topics. Creating and delivering more clean, reliable power is our mission, which makes third-party sourcing vital. The energy sector relies on third-party vendors the same as every other critical infrastructure sector, and this affects our security approach from business to cyber risks. Working in security, everything can seem doom and gloom all the time, but at the end of the day, we need to enable the business to make the best decisions possible to mitigate risks, which means providing timely, actionable business intelligence and risk mitigation recommendations to decision makers. Ensuring infrastructure is safe from nation-state cyber threat actors, cyber criminals and hacktivists remains a top priority. We already know these threat actor groups are using ongoing global conflicts and kinetic regions to refine tactics, techniques and procedures to conduct attacks on third-party vendors in the United States. Simultaneously, we know adversarial nations, such as China, are conducting cyber-espionage campaigns against U.S. critical infrastructure via third-party suppliers. China has also been implementing legal frameworks around national security designed to ensure their continued dominance of manufacturing, knowledge of cyber vulnerabilities and control of critical minerals required for the renewable energy transition. This is where those internal and external relationships become key as they help us anticipate risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure we continue to meet our mission.  As the U.S. continues its transition to renewable energy, this topic is going to continue to dominate security spaces. The easy answer from security is always no, but where security and intelligence can lead and provide business value is by digging deeper to provide realistic alternatives that ensure business continuity while protecting the business and infrastructure long term. Emma Mary Stewart: Resilience and reliability are layered, and we have many security solutions that will assist us in operating through such a challenge. One key challenge, though, is how we address and detect vulnerabilities in design as there is no reporting of common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) on any of the Chinese-manufactured power electronic components, and our structure for integration doesn’t allow for the analysis to take place. That needs to change. The manufacturing base will evolve, but that will take time. Utility Security Magazine: We have seen cyber attacks on renewable energy around the globe. Can you talk about the lessons learned from those events?  Emma Mary Stewart: While there have been cyberattacks, most of these were primarily ransomware-style events. Of the events that had any impact on operations, loss of visibility was the only real effect, and much of that was caused by external events such as the wind sites in northern Europe experiencing a satellite communications loss during the initial Ukraine invasion.  That is a consequence, but it’s not loss of generation or load, and that’s good. There are lots of lessons learned that can be derived from other industries also, but having a response plan that accounts for millions of end points potentially needing a manual reset is something that I think the renewable energy sector and, in particular, aggregators will need to consider.  Courtney Samp: I cannot overstate the importance of relationships, both public and private. Avangrid’s Corporate Security & Resilience Department encompasses physical security, cybersecurity, resilience, policy, insider risk, incident response, third party, travel security and intelligence. Basically, it’s a one-stop shop for risk management.  Possessing a strong and comprehensive security posture remains vital to Avangrid’s mission. Having these groups under one organizational roof, communicating daily, helps accomplish that mission. Avangrid’s intelligence program monitors domestic and international events to anticipate risks and provides recommendations and best practices to inform business decisions and offer mitigation recommendations.  

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportu…
As the Assassination Attempt that happened on July 13th Demonstrated, a Failure of Clarity, Communication and/or Consistency Can Lead to Devastating Consequences. It’s Vital that Your Substation Security Strategy Offers Certainty in All Three Areas. Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can kno…
In this episode of the Utility Security Podcast, host Curtis Marquardt sits down with Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, to discuss the critical aspects of securing utility infrastructure. Frank shares his extensive experience in crime prevention, physical se…
Welcome to the Utility Security Podcast, your command center for all things utility security! From power plant warriors to grid guardians, this podcast is your essential briefing on the latest vulnerabilities, industry best practices, and inspiring stories of resilience from frontline heroes ke…

Utility Security Magazine reports in live on location at the Utility Technology Association’s (UVA) annual conference which was held in Huntsville, Alabama this year. We talk with UTA President Vicky Wilson Turner all about why this annual event brings a wealth of learning and networking opportu…
As the Assassination Attempt that happened on July 13th Demonstrated, a Failure of Clarity, Communication and/or Consistency Can Lead to Devastating Consequences. It’s Vital that Your Substation Security Strategy Offers Certainty in All Three Areas. Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can kno…
In this episode of the Utility Security Podcast, host Curtis Marquardt sits down with Frank Harrison, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, to discuss the critical aspects of securing utility infrastructure. Frank shares his extensive experience in crime prevention, physical se…
Welcome to the Utility Security Podcast, your command center for all things utility security! From power plant warriors to grid guardians, this podcast is your essential briefing on the latest vulnerabilities, industry best practices, and inspiring stories of resilience from frontline heroes ke…