Building an Effective Security Program for Distributed Energy Resources and Systems. Mariana Hentea

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Figure 1.16 Illustration of connected virtual power plants.

      Source: [DOE 2015b]. Public Domain.

      Advances in communication, modeling, and controls are needed to use this technology more broadly.

      Examples of information systems for Smart Grid and DER systems are further discussed in the book.

1.4 Scope of Security and Privacy

      Defining the scope of security in the context of IT is not a trivial task because security is complex. Security is defined as the policies, practices, and technology that must be in place for an organization to use information for supporting business activities with a reasonable assurance of safety [Volonino 2004]. There are numerous corporate assets to protect. The protection involves managerial policies, technologies, and legal and ethical issues.

      Therefore, in the context of this book, security has a wide base and addresses specific issues regarding Smart Grids, DERs, power grids, network communications, computers, technologies, information, organizations, critical infrastructures, and people.

Security relates to several areas such as physical security, information security, operation security, communication security, national security, network security, disaster recovery, laws and ethics, management, etc. These areas are interrelated and they affect each other. All technology, hardware, people, and procedures are woven together into a security fabric [Harris 2005]. In fact, the so‐called information society is increasingly dependent on a wide range of software systems whose mission is critical, such as telecommunications, control systems, financial systems, and power systems. The potential losses that are faced by businesses and organizations that rely on all these systems, both hardware and software, therefore signify that it is crucial for information systems to be properly secured from the outset.

      Security is a condition of the system being protected from unintended or unauthorized access, change, or destruction [IIC 2015]. Therefore, a product, system, or service is considered to be secure to the extent that its users can rely on its functions (or will function) in the intended way [ENISA Glossary].

      1.4.1 Security for the Smart Grid

      Often security has different meanings to different people (e.g. security professional, control engineer, management). There are several definitions and terms that sometimes make the security an ambiguous field. With the Smart Grid one can associate also the word security, which is one of few Smart Grid terms that is overworked and overloaded (e.g. assigned multiple definitions). Such definitions range all the way from ensuring reliability, keeping the lights on, to protecting the confidentiality of customer information [Nordell 2012]. There are many facets of security that one needs to understand such as security as reliability, security as communication reliability, and security as information protection.

      1.4.1.1 Security as Reliability

      Security as reliability is one aspect that is used by power engineers to describe power system reliability as the ability of the bulk power system to withstand unexpected disturbances such as short circuits or unanticipated loss of system elements due to natural causes [Nordell 2012]. Traditional power engineering practice views reliability as security.

      Electric system reliability is the degree to which the performance of the elements of the electrical system results in power being delivered to consumers within accepted standards and in the amount desired. Reliability in this context encompasses two concepts, adequacy and security: