Hub Sessions

The cybersecurity balance is lost. At the one hand side, state-sponsored hackers finding each day new ways to attack our automation and information systems. On the other side, utilities having limited budgets and limited focus to cybersecurity while digitalization and interfaces between operational and informational systems are growing rapidly. It is required to radically change our operational cybersecurity approach to be able to secure and defend the critical (automation) infrastructure. Protection is not enough!

Effective responses to secure smart grids against potential cyber breaches are imperative and urgent. Mr. Teichmann will draw on insights from Accenture’s 4th annual Digitally Enabled Grid (DEG) global research program and share relevant examples to demonstrate how distribution businesses can secure their networks amid rapidly evolving cyber threats.

SEAS-NVE, a utility in Denmark with 390 000 smart meters installed, has successfully deployed smart metering technology to help avert hacking, intrusions and cyber-attacks, to the benefit of both the utility and its customer base. SEAS-NVE wanted to incorporate additional security features and functions into the smart metering system. So they worked with Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), their smart metering infrastructure vendor, on improving and enhancing the security features of their system.

Northern Power Grid (NPG) finds itself responsible for managing and protecting vast quantities of sensitive data, working with the DCC, a UK company established with the mandate to provide communication services between smart meters and the business systems of energy suppliers, network operators and other authorized service users. In addition to deploying a security-based solution acting as a gateway to the DCC, NPG has been assessing the security implications of their smart metering activity and considering the organizational, process and technology changes required in order to manage risk and be prepared for breaches. NPG will talk about the benefits of a security audit : oftentimes uncomfortable and hard-work, but an outward-in view on how to best defend data with a view to protecting customers and assuring supply.

We shall show how a hacker perceives a device, and what he can and cannot do with it. Then we shall present the common attack scenarios and discuss their impact to utility companies. We will close this presentation by giving a few recommendations for addressing smart metering security.