“We are very fortunate to have highly dedicated and professional staff that continue to advance technology and protect the District from cyber-attacks,” said South Tahoe Public Utility District’s General Manager, Paul Hughes when presented with the Excellence in Information Technology award from the Municipal Information Systems Association of California (MISAC).
“Congrats,” said Roger Jenson from MISAC. "You are the silent heroes working behind the scenes making your agency better, stronger, and more secure.”
With hackers targeting critical infrastructure, it is time for utilities to solidify their plans to protect the grid. As technologies advance, the use of IoT, smart grids, connectivity of operational technologies, and remote access are more prevalent. These factors and many more are increasing the risk of a cyberattack. The Texas grid is among the latest targets by who a report published by the Washington Post call state-backed Chinese hackers. The report revealed an attempt in August, to access the computer systems used by the PUC of Texas, and ERCOT. While there is no evidence that they were successful, the incident has led to heightened awareness and tighter security measures.
“ERCOT prepares year-round for any type of threat to the electric system. Whether the threat is cyber or physical, ERCOT continually invests in trained staff and resources to help keep the electric grid safe. From system redundancies to controlled access, ERCOT has multiple layers of protective measures to safeguard its critical infrastructure. This layered cyber and physical security approach is known as a defense -in-depth strategy,” ERCOT said in a statement.
It's not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ an incident arises, how will your utility defend itself? Despite your best efforts to prevent an attack, there may be a time when your utility needs to respond. What does your incident response plan look like?