NERC adopts latest grid cybersecuity step

WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- A set of new cybersecurity standards for the North American electricity grid has been adopted, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. announced.

NERC said Wednesday its trustees voted to adopt the eight revised standards, which address issues involving training, the identification of cyber threats and the recovery of the grid from any damages caused by a malicious hacker.

The revised standards will be added to a list of 13 standards already in effect, which will be audited beginning in July. The revisions were developed in response to concerns raised by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the protection of a wide range of grid assets, including generators, control centers and substations.

Companies in the United States that don't follow the new guidelines could face fines of up to $1 million per day while other enforcement provisions are in place in Canada.

Michael Assante, the chief security officer for NERC, said the new provisions were a solid step in overall planning for cybersecurity but were not intended for an actual emergency. "It is important to note that these standards are not designed to address specific, imminent cybersecurity security threats," Assante said in a written statement. "We firmly believe carefully crafted emergency authority is needed at the government level to address this gap."