Cybersecurity Program Management

Stay protected in a landscape of evolving physical and cybersecurity threats

Keep operations and information technology systems safe in the face of new and novel risks

Electric utilities are particularly vulnerable to security breaches

Increasing integration of operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems brings convenience, but it also opens the door to new security risks. The GDS team provides security guidance, planning, and implementation to maximize cybersecurity and physical security at your facilities.

Resource planning expertise includes:

Properly managed access points

Segmented networks

Controlled communications

Secure remote capability

Strict access controls

Properly patched systems

NERC CIP program development and implementation

Configuration of systems impacted by NERC CIP standards

Cybersecurity incident response plan development & testing

NERC CIP and NIST compliance evaluations

Protect customer and member data

Minimize the risk of exposing customers to fraud or identity theft. GDS can help train your team to avoid phishing scams, develop protocols to protect IT and OT systems, and stay compliant with cybersecurity best practices.

Meet NERC CIP security standards

NERC CIP standards only apply to entities that are part of the bulk electric system, but complying with those standards is wise even for smaller utilities. The GDS team can review existing security protocols to determine whether they adequately protect IT and OT assets.

Develop a comprehensive approach to security that checks every box

Increasingly, IT security and OT security are one and the same. There are benefits to this approach, but the two systems are developed with different core functions in mind. An OT breach, such as operator credential theft, presents a variety of damaging physical and cybersecurity risks. The security experts at GDS can help you develop a plan to mitigate those risks and shore up security conflicts where OT and IT systems overlap.