Why Testing Offline Is Not Cyber Secure?
Learn how offline power system testing can pose cybersecurity risks for substations
Is offline testing in power systems safe anymore from cyber intrusion?
In this episode of Energy Talks, Christopher Pritchard, who is head of product management at OMICRON, maintains that the common belief that offline equals security just does not hold up anymore. Christopher has been focused on improving the cybersecurity of OMICRON power system testing devices and is very familiar with the cyber risks posed by offline testing. He explains how malware can infiltrate even disconnected systems and be passed on to the substation as soon as these systems are connected to the network.
Lastly, Christopher describes how new cybersecurity features are being added to the latest generation of testing solutions, such as OMICRON’s CMC 500 protection testing device, to make offline testing less of a risk factor for digital substations.
Whether you're testing today or planning for the future, this episode urges you to rethink assumptions and adopt smarter, more cyber secure testing practices.
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“The test sets themselves are cyber transient assets. The minute you connect the test set to the substation, it becomes a part of the digital ecosystem, and it is therefore a risk vector to the substation. That's why we implemented new security mechanisms in the latest power system testing devices to minimize the risk."
Christopher Pritchard
Head of Product Management, OMICRON