The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) released their report in March on the fourth biennial (once every two years) grid security and emergency response exercise, GridEx IV, conducted from November 15–16, 2017.
With 6,500 individuals and 450 organizations participating across industry, law enforcement, and government agencies, GridEx IV consisted of a two-day distributed play exercise and a separate “executive tabletop” on the second day. The exercise provided an opportunity for various stakeholders in the electricity sector to respond to simulated cyber and physical attacks that affect the reliable operation of the grid, fulfilling NERC’s mission to assure the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the BPS.
A “tabletop scenario” involved multiple sophisticated cyber and physical attacks that targeted the electricity industry’s critical grid control systems, key generation and transmission facilities, and other critical infrastructure facilities. The exercise allowed law enforcement participants to actively coordinate with electrical entities within their areas of responsibility, and the exercise concluded that utilities should continue to build relationships and communications capabilities with law enforcement and state and local governments to ensure information is shared early and often.
The report is available here.