Grid Security Conference held in Las Vegas

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) are hosting GridSecCon, the eighth grid security conference, this week in Las Vegas.

More than 520 security experts from across North America are attending the conference, which focuses on protecting the grid through information sharing, education, and collaboration.

The conference aims to promote reliability of the bulk power system through training and education and enable experts to engage in discussions related to security threats, vulnerabilities and lessons learned from industry and government leaders as well as security best practices focused on reliability, risk mitigation, and threat awareness.

“The reliability and security of the grid are intertwined as much as the grid is interconnected across national boundaries, making our partnerships even more important,” Jim Robb, NERC’s president and CEO, said in his opening remarks. “As adversaries become more determined and capable, we must remain agile and vigilant. Collaboration like GridSecCon allows us to get in sync, remain engaged and continue learning from each other.”

GridSecCon helps to promote National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which was started by the Department of Homeland Security.

“We cannot ensure reliability without also ensuring security,” Robb said. “GridSecCon is one way to highlight the training, tools, and resources necessary to meet this goal.”