A workshop on Cyber Security for Distribution Utilities in Power Sector was organized by Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Ministry of Power, Government of India in association with REC Limited and Expert Group on Smart Metering (EGSM) in Gurugram today, December 15, 2023. The workshop brought together renowned experts, industry leaders, and cybersecurity enthusiasts to discuss the latest trends, innovations, and strategies in the field of cybersecurity.
Participants got an opportunity to engage in lively discussions on topics such as Cybersecurity Preparedness, Threat Landscape and Challenges in Incidence Response, Practice Measures for identified Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) in Distribution Sector, Cyber Security requirement for Cloud Security, and Cyber Security Testing of Firewall and Routers.
Guidelines for Cyber Security in Power Sector issued by CEA in 2021 were the key highlight of the event. These Guidelines on Cyber Security, require compliance by all responsible entities, including Transmission Utilities, Transmission Licensees, Load Despatch Centres, Generation Utilities, Distribution Utilities, Generation Aggregators, Regional Power Committees and Regulatory Commissions.
Cyber intrusion attempts and cyber-attacks in any critical sector are carried out with a malicious intent. In Power Sector, it is either to compromise the Power Supply System or to render the grid operation insecure. Any such compromise may result in maloperations of equipment, equipment damages or even in a cascading grid brownout / blackout. All Responsible Entities, Service Providers, Equipment Suppliers, Vendors and Consultants engaged in Power Sector are equally responsible for ensuring cyber security of the Indian Power Supply System. They are supposed to act timely upon each threat intelligence, advisories and other inputs received from authenticated sources, for continuous improvement in their cyber security posture.
This conference served as a platform to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and strengthen the collective resilience against cyberattacks in the Indian power sector.
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PIB DELHI | Dheep Joy Mampilly
