GE Energy and SUBNET Solutions Inc. are collaborating to help improve cyber security across a smarter grid, which is inherently more open, as it marries information and automation technologies with the current electrical infrastructure.
Because the potential for cyber attack on the smart grid increases as the network becomes more automated and open, GE and SUBNET have collaborated on a robust, flexible solution enabling streamlined information access, while overcoming the security challenges inherent in open systems.
‘For the smart grid to be viable and safe, security measures must be taken to protect the communications networks that enable utilities to remotely control the electrical network,’ says Sisir Padhy, general manager for GE Energy's automation technologies. ‘Our collaboration with SUBNET is critical as we continue to expand our smart grid offerings. This new solution provides significant business benefits to utility customers in the United States, Canada and around the world.’
SUBNET's software integrates with GE's D400 (1) workstation for a new substation gateway product – the D400-S (1) – to deliver a unified and intelligent architecture with the ability to evolve as customers' needs grow, according to the companies.
The D400-S is compliant with NERC-CIP standards, CIP-002 through CIP-009, which provide a cyber security framework for the identification and protection of critical cyber assets to support reliable operation of the bulk electric system.
GE's D400 solution is a secure, substation-hardened gateway that collects metering, status, event and fault report data from serial or LAN-based intelligent electronic devices.
SUBNET's flagship products, EnterpriseSERVER.NET, SubstationSERVER.NET and Substation Explorer, are hardware-independent software applications that integrate with utilities' existing infrastructure to provide flexible and secure access to remote substation information.
SOURCES: GE Energy, SUBNET Solutions Inc.
