Critical compliance: Debate surrounds critical infrastructure compliance in power industry

摘要

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported cyber-spies had penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could see use to disrupt the system. National Security officials reported the spies came from China, Russia and other countries, possibly on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders had not sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis of war. Officials stated water, sewage and other infrastructure systems were also at risk. Reliability standards have created a frenzy over the last few years for corporations in pipelines, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and oil and gas, but never so predominantly as in the power industry, especially with the mandatory critical infrastructure protection (CIP) standards the North American Reliability Commission (NERC) has issued. Once finalized, the standard will be fully enforceable in the U.S. on behalf of the Federal Energy Regulatory Council (FERC) and by provincial authorities in Canada and will bring with it a myriad of exorbitant costs for power companies. (See accompanying article on NERC CIP compliance.)