A drone breached energy infrastructure with the potential to cause broad power outages. In July 2020, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or drone, crashed near a Pennsylvania power substation. Officials concluded that its likely purpose was to damage or disrupt the electrical equipment. This drone attack is the first known case of a UAV
Threats to the electrical utility industry are on the rise. From cybersecurity attacks to physical security threats, electrical utilities need to pursue innovative approaches to predicting, detecting, identifying, and responding to vulnerabilities. This level of innovation should follow a streamlined process of various assessments, including risk, threat, vulnerability, and engineering, to determine the most
Operating in the utilities industry can be arduous, from ensuring security operations are meeting industry regulations to finding ways to automate operational tasks and better respond to security incidents to increase operational efficiencies. The industry requires technology that can manage operations under a single, unified platform in order to respond effectively to incidents and
As technology continues to evolve, so do the laws and industry regulations that focus on protecting consumers, markets, and critical infrastructure. Companies in the utilities industry need to stay on top of these changing regulations and modernize compliance practices accordingly. The utilities industry is becoming increasingly regulated. Regulatory agencies oversee the reliability and safety
With increasing amounts of security threats, it can be difficult to identify true mission-critical events. Utilities companies don't have a way to automate operational tasks, so when a real security incident occurs they're desensitized from the high false alarm rates they experience. In addition, with the expansion and adoption of Distributed Energy Resources (DER),
Convergint is a global systems integrator offering scalable, customizable utilities solutions with unparalleled service delivery. Convergint provides high-security protective strategies, methodical program implementation, and develops comprehensive solutions focused on driving operational efficiencies throughout the industrial utility market. With a deep understanding of regulatory compliance requirements, Convergint deploys a layered design to ensure maximum performance
To defend against cyberattacks, the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is actively increasing the abilities of utilities and pipelines. Two recent security directives (SDs) have been issues by the TSA requiring comprehensive assessments of assets owned and operated by electric and gas utilities and oil and gas pipelines. SD: May 28, 2021 - The first
Join Convergint and industry experts at the 2021 Utility Technology Association Fall Conference in Nashville, TN on October 19th-21st. Visit Convergint's vendor booth at the conference to hear from industry leaders on integrating mission-critical security systems for the utilities industry. The in-person event will provide discussion on topics including network administration, cybersecurity, physical and
Alabama Power is one of four utilities operated by Southern Company, a leading electricity provider in the United States. They are headquartered in Birmingham and are the primary electric providers for the southern two-thirds of the state, with 6,500 employees, and serve 1.4 million customers across more than 300 locations.
There are over 55,000 substations in the U.S., many of which are enticing targets due to the important function they perform and the fact that they are typically unstaffed in remote settings.
