Beroset on AMI and Smart Meter Security Considerations - Late 2013

Ed Beroset is the Director of Technology and Standards at one of the main smart meter making companies, Elster, and I've had the good fortune of meeting him on several occasions when both had speaking duties at grid security conferences. In this case, tech director also = security strategist and spokesman.

Recently, as I've started to prepare myself for work with Greentech Media's Grid Edge council, I wanted to check up on the current state of security thinking around AMI and smart meters.

Lo and behold, here's Ed who just put it down in pixels with 3 questions to ask yourself, along the lines of what are you protecting and why, and 7 to ask your vendors.  In the latter category, I particularly like #1 and the advice that follows:

What security measures does your system employ? 

Don’t settle for vague or imprecise answers to this question. Any reputable vendor will be able to give you a clear and detailed answer. Furthermore, don’t accept the excuse that the security measures are proprietary and top secret. As any security expert can attest, in modern systems, it is not a secret algorithm, but a secret key, that ensures security.

This may be more advanced than your typical energy sector start-up is ready for or need be ready for, but it's a good example of the types of scrutiny mature product suppliers like Elster have come to expect as a matter of doing business with increasingly security-aware customers.

You can read the full article HERE.

Read More

Electric Sector Security Observations from Distributech 2013

The show is over for me as I'm up in LA for some IBM training, but it was a very good 2 days. Here's a few of the highlights I took away:

• Saw a great new product with immediate applicability to AMI (and other wireless network) security with crossover applications in restoration, routing and reliability
• Patrica Hoffman, DOE's Assistant Secretary for the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), following great, largely renewable-energy oriented keynotes from senior executives at SDG&E and Cal ISO, gave her perspective on the world and beat a drum loudly for improved cybersecurity awareness and action towards the end of her talk
• Speaking of DOE, after visiting several security vendor booths found a remote outpost DOE cybersecurity booth in the far corner of the big hall. Those folks seemed glad to have any human contact :)
• One industry security guru whose knowledge I implicitly trust said he would like to see a greater emphasis on security architectures this year. Too many point products are being bought and strung together with little consideration for the bigger, enterprise protection picture. And that's a recipe for weakness and inefficiency, and for the folks recommending or doing the buying, a formula for losing credibility and trust
• I couldn't make the conference's security focus panel but if someone did and has some impressions to share, please do and I'll post them here.
• Lastly, from my extended family at IBM flown in from all over the world, definitely detecting heightened security awareness and interest from utilities that until recently weren't all that active.

For those still in town and/or next time you're in town, highly recommend the new Blind Burro restaurant ... ate their twice and it's fantastic. So far, scores a ridiculously high 4.5 our of 5 stars on Yelp. Mmmm tasty.

Read More