Compliance with the NERC CIP standards is critical to mitigating cybersecurity risks to North America’s bulk electric system (BES), which is also known as the bulk power system (BPS). The NERC CIP provides a comprehensive list of security controls to help organizations effectively and securely operate the BES. Read our blog to get a sense of the NERC CIP standards summary. (more…)
Category: NERC CIP
Stay compliant with NERC CIP standards. Explore guides, requirements, and best practices to protect critical infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity defenses.
-
NERC vs. NIST: Choosing the Right Infrastructure Cybersecurity Framework
Cybersecurity implementation can be a long and complicated process if your organization hasn’t been built with security as a part of its design. This is why different committees, interest groups, governments, and cybersecurity professionals come together to develop robust cybersecurity frameworks and regulations.
Depending on the industry that your organization is part of, these frameworks and regulations may be known to you as CIS CSC, NIST, ENISA, ISO 27001 ect. With so many frameworks it is hard to know which is best suited to your organization’s needs. Although all frameworks have their merit, some pertain to either specific industries or requirements.
-
What Is the Difference Between NERC CIPs and NIST Frameworks?
Essential services such as water, electricity, oil, and gas all require monitoring systems that operate under a communications network. Management of these services becomes more efficient this way. But on the other hand, there is also the potential risk of vulnerability to cyberattacks.
-
Top Cybersecurity Standards for Critical Infrastructure
Cybersecurity has become a pressing concern for individuals, organizations, and governments all over the world. There are 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the United States, of great importance to public life, that a cybersecurity breach could have a devastating effect on.
-
Benefits of Being NERC CIP Compliant
NERC is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Their job is to monitor and maintain the standards for the North American “Bulk power transmission.” Essentially, NERC watches over all large electrical power stations and the dispersion of large amounts of electrical power throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.
-
What Is The Patch Management Process For NERC CIP?
The electric utility industry is built on a foundation that requires an ultimate level of security to operate effectively. As hackers multiply and their level of sophistication increases rapidly, the electric utility industry must also evolve its cybersecurity defense capabilities. A recent survey of 140 North American electric utilities found that 88% of respondents expect cyberattacks to increase within the next 2 to 3 years. That figure is meteoric and most likely slightly distressing for those bulk power system (BPS) operators that haven’t gotten up to speed on patching their software vulnerabilities quite yet.
-
How to Achieve NERC CIP Compliance
Access to a stable power source is a central component of our daily lives in the modern United States. Power generation, transmission, and delivery has been designated critical infrastructure in the United States, and as such is subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny and security requirements.
One of the most important regulatory bodies ensuring the security of our critical power infrastructure is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). NERC is a not-for-profit corporation that has been granted regulatory authority over the bulk power delivery system in the United States. Maintaining compliance with NERC regulatory standards is an ongoing requirement for entities that fall within the scope of the bulk power system. In this article, we’ll break down what NERC is, what NERC does, and outline how entities within the bulk power system can achieve Nerc compliance through a Nerc compliance program.