NERC Compliance Solutions
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is a nonprofit corporation designed to “ensure that the bulk electric system in North America is reliable, adequate and secure.” As the federally designated Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) in North America, NERC maintains comprehensive reliability standards that define requirements for planning and operating the collective bulk power system. Among these are the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Cyber Security Standards, which are intended to ensure the protection of the Critical Cyber Assets that control or effect the reliability of North America’s bulk electric systems.
In 2006, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the Security and Reliability Standards proposed by NERC, making the CIP Cyber Security Standards mandatory and enforceable across all users, owners and operators of the bulk-power system. After going into effect in June 2006, initial compliance auditing began in June 2007.
SecureWorks has extensive experience partnering with utility providers and we can help you improve your security and compliance posture while reducing costs. As described below, many of our Managed Security Services and Professional Services align directly with the NERC CIP Standards, allowing you to easily meet and exceed the requirements they set forth.
NERC CIP Cyber Security Standards
Standard |
Summary of Requirements |
Solutions |
CIP-002-1 Critical Cyber Asset Identification |
All network assets must be audited to identify Critical Cyber Assets. A risk-based assessment methodology should be utilized with annual reviews. |
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CIP-003-1 Security Management Controls |
Policies with adherence monitoring and change control must be documented and in place. Change control policies and processes must be adhered to. Definitions and documentation on access control levels for critical assets such as Internet facing systems and critical backend solutions. Solutions should be in place to mitigate risks. |
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CIP-004-1 Personnel and Training |
Employees should be trained on policies, access controls and general awareness issues around Social Engineering. Background checks should be performed on all users with access to computer assets. |
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CIP-005-1 Electronic Security Protection |
An Electronic Security Perimeter should be established that provides the following:
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CIP-006-1 Physical Security Program |
Physical Security controls should be documented and implemented that provide perimeter monitoring and logging along with robust access controls. All cyber assets used for Physical Security are considered Critical and should be treated as such. |
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CIP-007-1 Systems Security Management |
All methods, processes and procedures for securing Critical Assets and all technology solutions should be well-defined and include automated controls. System and network events should be monitored automatically with alerts sent to key personnel. An annual vulnerability assessment should be performed. |
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CIP-008-1 Incident Response and Reporting |
All cyber security incidents should be addressed by an internal computer incident response team (CIRT) and reported to the Electricity Sector Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ES ISAC). |
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CIP-009-1 Disaster Recovery |
A disaster recovery plan should be created and tested with annual drills |
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Additional Resources
Security Services for Utilities
- Security Management Services
- Security Monitoring Services
- Self-Service Security
- Professional Services