NERC CIP

Safety is of paramount concern when it comes to the bulk electric system of North America. With so many busy cities flourishing on the continent, power interruption will definitely derail the daily grind of its inhabitants and the long-term health of its economies.

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.

With the constant advancements in technology there is an equal amount of cyber threats coming for your company’s most vital asset. A way to prevent the worst from happening is by following The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards. Those without any guidelines on how to improve company critical infrastructure can fall at the hand of those threats.

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.

A cyberattack on key utility infrastructure of a nation can spell disaster, especially as a part of a firesale attack (a cyber attack that intends to disable or render unusable the nation’s transportation, utilities, telecommunications, and financial infrastructure). The potential doomsday scenario has many nations considering the impact the fall out of a wide scale cyberattack could have on the country’s stability and economy. 

Keeping the lights on across America is no simple task. It takes more than a thousand operators—spanning the four, interconnected, transnational power grids—all working together.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a not-for-profit international regulatory authority that ensures the security of bulk power systems (BPS) across all of North America. NERC’s primary responsibilities include defining and enforcing standards that safeguard against physical, cyber, and other threats. These protections keep power flowing to all North American populations.

Without the foundation of well-thought standards and procedures to protect your company, you are putting it at risk. For some companies, it can be difficult to figure out which standard is the best for them. Luckily the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) provides standards that help with exactly that. It helps you prepare for any possible cyber threat coming your way. And you do not have to struggle to understand what each standard asks of you.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a non-profit international regulatory authority that monitors large electric power stations and ensures the safety of Bulk Electric System (BES) in America, Canada and parts of Mexico.

Given the increased sophistication of cybercriminals, it’s important to not only protect the physical assets of organizations, but also the data and information assets. A breach of any of these assets can have catastrophic effects on the safety of both IT infrastructure and human lives.

What does NERC CIP stand for and how does it apply to cybersecurity? Find out everything you need to know from the experts at RSI Security.