Cloud, cars and IoT could change grid cybersecurity

By Iren Moroz shutterstock ID 566799760 


While experts generally consider the internet of things to be a risky ecosystem full of unsecured devices, Evans said there could be an upside. In remarks to researchers from CESER's Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems  (CEDS) program on Nov. 6, Evans said a growing fleet of connected electric-powered vehicles "could become sensors" to provide cybersecurity situational awareness.

"The cybersecurity model can work from the outside," instead of coming from the inside of a system, she told the researchers. Electric cars have to be recharged at homes or other locations, she said.  As they charge, they could reach out from that recharging station to gather threat data from local electric grid infrastructure.

"It could do a wellness check of the grid in that area," said Evans, particularly as mostly privately owned electric grid infrastructure providers create "microgrids" that can operate locally and independently or as part of a larger grid. That wellness data, according to Evans, could be provided to the Department of Homeland Security to help with that agency's overall cybersecurity situational awareness.

CESER, housed at the DOE, is the sector-specific agency responsible for monitoring the U.S. electric infrastructure, but it also passes on threat data and coordinates with DHS.

Using the growing numbers of electric cars as cybersecurity sensors is a goal that could be reached in the relative short term, within two or three years, she told her audience of cybersecurity researchers.

Cloud computing is also altering the cybersecurity posture of infrastructure providers, Evans told FCW in an interview after her remarks.

Cloud adoption among infrastructure providers is growing.

"A lot of the utilities are looking at 'how can I reduce my operating costs and what portions can I actually do that with?'" There is a distinct difference and set of concerns, said Evans, when using the cloud for administrative data and operational data for a grid system.

"Obviously you want to be able to take advantage of the efficiencies of cloud, but then DHS released a bulletin dealing with [threats against] managed services," she said. "CESER’s role is to get as much information out to industry about cloud security as possible.”






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