Who will oversee the industry’s cyber standards?
Darren Reece Highfill (darren@sakersystems.com) chairs the UtiliSec Working Group within the UCA International Users Group, and currently is working for Saker Systems on a long-term contract for Southern California Edison. Formerly he led the utility security practice at EnerNex Corp. Vishant Shah is a security architect with EnerNex, and previously was the deputy director of the control systems security program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The smart grid is starting to grow up. People are talking less about what it is and more about how to put it in place. The president has made the smart grid a priority, and suddenly the industry is moving in a gear it never knew it had.
However, sometimes growth is accompanied by growing pains. With the smart grid comes the need for cyber security; yet it remains to be seen how the industry will adapt and move forward. A singular authoritative voice might be essential in a domain where the weakest link breaks the chain.
Nevertheless, utilities, manufacturers, system integrators and others continue to find a way to get the job done through leadership, perseverance, and creativity.
While the government and industry choose a single voice, the chorus will carry the day. The successor might even find all the parts written, leaving only the need to lead the show.