Chapter 4 - Federal Effort to Secure Smart Grids

Abstract

Securing the electric grid is a matter of national security, and thus, the federal government plays a significant role in directing the security efforts. Utility companies and smart grid vendors concern the federal government for guidance on how to properly secure their smart grid deployments. Several federal government agencies have developed and are currently developing more security guidelines and best practices. This chapter discusses the roles of several of the federal government agencies, as well as their respective initiatives. The federal government directly target organizations and consumers with information regarding security in the smart grid. Although security professionals recognize the need for proper security controls in the smart grid, some members of management at utility companies and smart grid technology vendors view cyber security threats as unrealistic. The federal government has made it clear that securing the electric grid is a matter of national security. As a result, the federal government has launched several security initiatives and has allocated billions of dollars to support the effort. Utilities and technology vendors show that security is a top priority for the electric grid.