The electric energy grid is a soft target for vandals, thieves, saboteurs, and disgruntled employees. This whitepaper explains why today’s approach to physical security is not enough. Instead, the SHIELDR approach to physical security (an acronym for Strategically Harden, Isolate, Examine on Location, Duplicate, and React & Recover) should be implemented at substations across the US.
Prescient’s approach to physical security at substations, SHIELDR, focuses on preventing a multi-state blackout caused by a disgruntled employee with access to facilities and a wealth of knowledge about facility weaknesses.
With today’s physical security measures, any saboteur who gains access to a transmission substation can create a wide area blackout in less than 5 minutes, using tools that can be purchased at any hardware store. This risk can be eliminated by strategic hardening and low cost enhancements. The effectiveness of these enhancements can be evaluated by examining on location, with the help of Prescient’s team.
SHIELDR considers realistic physical security risks and costs associated with improvements. The SHIELDR approach blends Department of Defense and nuclear power industry requirements to improve physical security at electric substations.
Fill out the form below to access the whitepaper for more details.