POWER

CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity for the Power Industry

Does your cybersecurity solution specialize in serving the power plants and energy industry? How do you know your vendor understands the cybersecurity threats you face? Power industry records contain a wealth of exploitable information, and many hackers assume you aren’t doing enough to protect it.

Cyberattacks target credit card details, personally identifiable information, and other data. And since almost everyone pays for power, no consumers are immune to having their data stolen. But it doesn’t end there.

Power companies protect some of the world’s most important and critical infrastructure. Security teams must keep close guard over who has access to critical controls. Whenever a power company modernizes its systems, new risks are introduced just when employees are trying to learn new systems. Proactive power companies rely on specialized security partners to pinpoint the emerging threats that others overlook.

Contextual Security Solutions protects the power industry through industry tailored cybersecurity consulting and support.

Contextual Security Solutions has over 15 years of experience working with electric cooperatives to solve their cyber security challenges. Using our proven methodology and proprietary reporting engine/application (Perigon 360), we provide a complete picture of your cooperative’s ability to detect the most common cyber threats and exploits being used in IT networks to gain access to control system networks and devices. This process also provides a snapshot view into your current security posture and categorizes results into the quickest win categories for your organization. These results also take into account the unique challenges faced with power generation, transmission, and distribution by accounting for the business needs and the protections which are already in place.

Combining your results with our SecurityXtensions program can provide your electric co-op with a continuous review and establish whether your security program is improving through continued testing efforts.

Industry Involvement

Contextual Security Solutions is a frequent speaker within the Energy and Coop space (Tech Advantage, NRECA, Statewide Coop conferences, etc.). Whether it’s speaking on the latest security trends, presenting security assessor training, or conducting webinars throughout the year on navigating compliance frameworks like the Payment Card Industry’s Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), we at Contextual Security Solutions are always striving to provide content that is timely and applicable to our Energy and Coop clientele. Terms like MDMS, OMS, and AMI are part of our vernacular, is your current vendor familiar with these energy systems?

Energy Cybersecurity Programs

Contextual Security Solutions provides security & compliance services tailored specifically for Energy and Coop sector organizations. This includes individual services like Penetration Testing, Wireless Network Assessments, Security Architecture Reviews and Incident Response Training, to Risk Assessments and Compliance Audits

For those organizations looking for technical assistance continuously managing and monitoring their information security program, we offer our SecurityXtensions solution that provides access to security & compliance consultants throughout the year and includes a Security Project Plan tailored specifically to your organizations business objectives, threat landscape and any applicable regulatory compliance requirements. 

Energy Cybersecurity Consulting

Complete IT security is a dynamic and complex goal. We work with you to evaluate your performance and close system gaps. Our power industry cybersecurity consulting services include:

  • Firewall circumvention testing
  • Social engineering trials
  • Wireless network integrity
  • Security architecture review
  • Secure network design and testing
  • Incident response

Payment Card Industry (PCI) Standards

As a Qualified Security Assessor Company (QSAC) approved by the PCI Security Standards Council, Contextual Security certifies that your credit card processing system meets stringent PCI standardsBased on our findings, we can also recommend updates to your IT policies and procedures to keep your systems secure.

Benefits for Power Companies

Every stolen credit card costs energy companies an average of $148.* Power companies and co-ops hold thousands of records, so data breaches quickly become expensive.

Worse, high-profile hacks often permanently damage power companies’ relationships with their customers. It’s hard to calculate the cost of lost business and an antagonistic public. Robust security is a fundamental power company investment in today’s risk environment.

 *2016 Cost of Data Breach Study: Global Analysis, Ponemon Institute, June 2016