Urgent Need for Clear-Cut Policy & Robust Regulatory Framework for Cyber Security, says Industry Stakeholders

There is an urgent need to secure the AMI system from vulnerabilities and threats of cyber-attacks, says industry stakeholders during the Smart Meter Cyber Security Conference 2022 which was held recently in New Delhi.
 
In line with the Government of India’s ambition to deploy 250 million smart meters under the RDSS scheme, IntelliSmart Infrastructure Pvt Ltd (IntelliSmart), a JV of the NIIF and EESL, and India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) jointly organized the Conference.
 
During the conference participants from the government, regulators, utilities, researchers, manufacturers, developers, and academia were present.
 
The speakers highlighted the need for translating security measures to take them to the level of consumers; mandating certification training followed by regular upgradation in tandem with evolving security systems; drafting focussed guidelines, procedures and rallying continuous discussions for wider participation and cognizance.
 
The inaugural session was attended by Rahul Dwivedi, Executive Director, Rural Electrification Corporation, Arun Kumar Mishra, Executive Director, Power Grid Corporation, Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairman, Central Electricity Authority of India, Anil Rawal, MD & CEO, IntelliSmart and Reji Kumar Pillai, President, India Smart Grid Forum.
                                                                                       
On the occasion, Reji Kumar Pillai, President, ISGF & Chairman, Global Smart Energy Federation, said, “security of the power system is of paramount importance to the country and there should be appropriate framework and systems to protect the power grid from cyber-attacks. The 250 million smart meters and millions of electric vehicles that are being rolled out on fast track could significantly increase the points of cyber intrusion and hence the vulnerability of the power system.”
             
Adding to it, Anil Rawal, Managing Director & CEO, IntelliSmart, said, “the smart metering program under RDSS will bring a socio-economic change and empower the consumers. The biggest risk for the program is cyber security as AMI, once operational at scale, will generate huge amount of data which have to be secured. The Smart Meter Cyber Security Conference 2022 gives the industry a platform to deliberate on the issue and prepare it for the next level of cyber security readiness with focus on the right policy proposition and on-ground implementation guidelines.”
 
Other sessions include – ‘Regulatory Compliances: Cyber Security Readiness in The Wake of RDSS Program’; ‘Cyber Security Threat Modelling for Digital Architecture of Smart Meters’; and ‘Use Cases and Best Practices for Secure Smart Metering’.