Performing Power Grid Cybersecurity Assessment

When to Use

• When conducting periodic cybersecurity assessments of power grid facilities per NERC CIP requirements
• When assessing substation automation systems using IEC 61850 GOOSE and MMS protocols
• When evaluating the security of an Energy Management System (EMS) or SCADA control center
• When assessing synchrophasor (PMU) networks and wide-area monitoring systems
• When preparing for regional entity compliance audits or internal security reviews

Do not use for non-BES systems below NERC registration thresholds, for general OT assessment without power grid specifics (see performing-ot-network-security-assessment), or for physical security assessment of generation facilities without cyber scope.

Prerequisites

• Understanding of electric power grid architecture (generation, transmission, distribution)
• Familiarity with NERC CIP standards and BES Cyber System categorization
• Knowledge of power grid protocols (IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-104, DNP3, ICCP/TASE.2)
• Passive monitoring tools for substation network traffic analysis
• Access to EMS/SCADA architecture documentation and network diagrams