On April 14, 2023, NERC delivered its evaluation to the FERC on the effectiveness of Reliability Standard CIP-014 in mitigating physical attacks on electric substations due to an increase in reports of physical attacks. The Commission cited specific incidents such as the December 3, 2022, physical attacks on substations in Moore County, North Carolina, the November 2022 incidents at several Pacific Northwest substations. The report found that the applicability criteria were effective in identifying critical substations, but there were inconsistencies in how the risk assessment was carried out.
A major takeaway? The need to have a minimum level of physical security protections at all BPS transmission stations and substations, a topic that warrants further discussion and understanding of the objective, risks and resources needed to meet such requirements. But that conversation is one we have with companies all over the world, every single day: By staying ahead of risk with AI automation and instant physical and security insights—and converging IT, OT and physical security systems—utility companies can go a long way in protecting their data, employees and infrastructure. Let’s chat about how we can integrate your current systems with the latest advancements in technology.