Since 2018, ENCS organises its knowledge development in 3 programs: policy, architecture, and operations. Below, you can explore what we have planned in these areas for 2021.
The thread connecting the 2021 activities is the upcoming Network Code on Cybersecurity. Since this legislation will have a major influence on the security programs of European grid operators, we plan to support our members in preparing for this change. The security programs of 2021 will therefore focus on the following activities:
- In the policy program, we will continue to support the drafting team, prepare methods to assess security risks in the electricity sector, and support our members in implementing an ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management System (ISMS) through the ISMS expert group.
- In the architecture program, we will support the development of a product assurance scheme by further developing our test plans for smart grid components.
- In the operations program, we will prepare for technical information sharing by setting up a community of OT Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts.
Below, you can read a summary of our security operations program for 2021. To learn more, you can download the ENCS security program 2021.
Security operations program 2021
The operations program 2021 aims to develop and share knowledge to security operations analysts responsible for detecting vulnerabilities and incidents. It covers vulnerability management, technologies and use cases for detecting attacks, incident response, and organization of SOC or CSIRT teams.
OT SOC analyst community
The main goal for 2021 is to create an active community of security operations analysts at ENCS members that can share operational information about vulnerabilities, threats, and recommendations on how to address them. We will start the SOC analyst community using the model used for the Netbeheer Nederland Cyber-SOC group. A roundtable will be set up for this community combined with regular videoconferences.
To build the SOC analyst community, ENCS is planning a SOC roundtable, monthly information sharing calls, and an OT SOC survey to identify relevant topics.
Vulnerability management
We will investigate best practices in managing vulnerabilities in OT systems. The focus will be on the first step in the vulnerabilities management processes: identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities.
Incident response
Being able to respond to security incidents is a key capability for all grid operators. In 2021, we would like to facilitate information sharing on this topic through the development of best practices in forensics and response exercises.
Become an ENCS member
Are you interested in our cyber security programs? As an ENCS member, you can contribute to and learn from all our programs. Click below to learn more about our memberships.
