Distributech wrap up

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Joe Malenfant

While the focus of Distributech is the distribution component of utilities, the discussions spanned the “Smart Grid” gamut. Demand response, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), distribution management systems, clean energy production, and securing the grid were some of the highlights of the opening keynote presentations. It’s no secret there is demand on the grid like never before. The last 10 years have provided technological advancements that are putting the need for demand response << More >>

Industrial Defender Recognized by Ovum Research as the Leader in Smart Grid Security Solutions

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Kim Legelis

We couldn’t be more proud to receive recognition from Ovum Research as the leading vendor of cyber security solutions for the Smart Grid. The Ovum Decision Matrix: Selecting a Smart Grid Security Solution* is a 2013 vendor comparison that measures both market impact and customer satisfaction. The results measure Industrial Defender as the leader, outranking several large IT firms including McAfee, IBM, Symantec, RSA and Cisco. *Ovum Research Jan. 11, 2013 Click this chart to register for << More >>

A New European Report Addresses Smart Grid Security

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Kim Legelis

This week, the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) issued a report outlining the challenges faced when protecting power grids. Along with this report, Europe’s cyber security agency included a framework to be used when establishing procedures to secure smart grids. According to the report, a risk-based approach is key to a secure implementation. Our Kim Legelis shared thoughts with Fahmida Rashid of SecurityWeek, which highlighted that a risk-based approach to smart grid s << More >>

OT and IT – One Size Does Not Fit All

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Kim Legelis

When it comes to power generation, chemical processing or oil production, not all computer networks can be treated equal. Though they appear to share similar technologies, information technology (IT) networks and operational technology (OT) networks are two very different environments. For one, OT systems tend to include several specialized systems like SCADA, that are not found anywhere in the IT world. Second, there cannot be downtime in OT networks – ever. They must be managed 24/7, 365, wi << More >>

RuggedCom SSL Vulnerability Mitigations – Are PCN Best Practice Architectures the Safe Bet ?

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Venkat Pothamsetty

ICS CERT recently issued a warning on SSL key management private keys stored in the operating system causes an attacker to decrypt the communications to the RuggedCom device. Which Devices Might be Affected ? The reported vulnerability is in ROS SSL, so it means that only web management of Rugged’s switches and some other small devices such as terminal servers might be affected by the vulnerability. What does the Vulnerability Mean ? A hard-coded private key means that every device running R << More >>

ICSJWG – Key Takeaways

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Jacob Kitchel

If you attended the recent ICSJWG Spring 2012 conference, you likely attended the panel that Industrial Defender organized entitled “Key Takeaways from S4 and Project Basecamp.” Moderated by Bob Lockhart from Pike Research, the members of the panel included: Markus Braendle, ABB Robert McComber, Telvent/Schnieder Graham Speake, Yokogowa Brad Hegrat, Rockwell/Allen-Bradley Jonathan Pollet, Red Tiger Security Jacob Kitchel, Industrial Defender There were a lot of good questions, strong opin << More >>

Why Smart Meters Need To Be Smarter

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Kim Legelis

Smart meters are designed to provide efficient and reliable electricity services and rates throughout the day. So what happens when these systems become compromised? Hundreds of millions of dollars goes missing… annually. The most recent case of this theft was announced in a cyber intelligence bulletin, in which the FBI disclosed information about a hack that occurred on a Puerto Rico smart meter. Hacking meters is not a new issue. However, with the advancement of digital smart meters, hackers << More >>

Hacking Digital Smart Meters Is Becoming Too Easy

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Kim Legelis

Recently, in a cyber intelligence bulletin obtained by KrebsOnSecurity, the FBI disclosed information about a hack that occurred on a Puerto Rico smart meter, which is the first known report of a hack on a digital smart meter. This intelligent attack was devised by hackers who communicated with the computer system and changed the software setting to halt the measuring usage of the meter. GreenTech Media called upon Industrial Defender to shed some light on the situation and explain what this mea << More >>

Smart Grid, How did we get here?

Posted on December 8, 2011 by George Kalavantis

Smart Grid and Advanced Metering Infrastructure technologies have been publicized in recent years as having the capability to “modernize” the power grid. In fact some stories would have you believe that the Smart Grid is more beneficial than the wheel. Even with the perceived benefits of the Smart Grid, these emerging technologies will introduce new vulnerabilities with potentially significant ramifications to reliability and security. However, before we tackle the security of the Smart << More >>

ICS Perspectives

Category Archives: Smart Grid