SecurityInformed.com: What Are the Security Challenges of Protecting Utilities?

February 19, 2020

On February 19, 2020, SecurityInformed.com invited Nick Friesen, Identiv Product Manager, to participate in an expert panel roundtable about the security challenges of protecting utilities. Here’s an excerpt:

Utilities encompass production, distribution and security around external threats and internal emergencies. Protecting utilities such as water, electricity, oil and gas, or communication means addressing all four of these areas. Production facility systems have to be aware of dangerous internal changes — overheating, over pressure, current spikes — or emergency events like explosions, leaks, and fires. From an external threat perspective, security systems have to secure a perimeter, secure sensitive locations and processes, and send alerts if a breach or suspicious behavior occurs. The utility distribution arena has different security needs. These facilities face internal threats including pipe leaks, power line damage, fires, as well as the external threats of sabotage or theft. Both product and distribution facilities need personnel mustering, evacuation and situational awareness across large areas in the event of an emergency. These measures have to locate, define and alert personnel to danger, providing information to get people to safety.

Read the full article here.