With the coming of the new yearCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, cyber security activity at power plants and larger electric utilities has taken a major step. NERC CIP (National Electric Reliability Corporation, critical infrastructure protection) regulations are coming into force that require producers and distributors of bulk power to take specific security precautions to ensure uninterrupted delivery. These requirements have teeth in the form of substantial fines that can be charged against offenders.
　　Many that are not

in the utility industry are watching the situation with the expectation that deployment of similar regulations will spread to other verticals sooner rather than later. Over the last year or two, industrial cyber security issues have been developing with greater intensity. One event was a report about a year ago from the CIA that an overseas utility had been compromised successfully by cyber attackers in an extortion scheme. The nature of serious hacking (see graphic) has expanded from being simply an amusement to criminalCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, terrorist, or even state-sponsored espionage. Such escalation demands an appropriate and dynamic defensive response.
　　Implementation of the NERC CIP regulations has been compared to the confusion surrounding Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) after its passage in 2002. Eric Casteelwww.cechina.cn, manager of SCADA and security business development for Emerson’s power & water division recognizes the similarities. “When SOX compliance came outCONTROL ENGINEERING China版权所有, there was very little guidance and interpretations varied widely,” he says. “We’re seeing the same kind of thing with the NERC CIP standard. Some customers are taking the high road and want to adopt best practices to get an 'A’ for their audit. Others just want to pass with a 'C.’ Some plants try to say控制工程网版权所有, 'We’re not a critical asset.’ If they don’t have black start facilities and they’re not a significant megawatt generator, they might have a case. But when you look at the overall security of the grid, you’re only as strong as your weakest compo