The NEI website states; “Advanced cyber security measures keep intruders out with layers of security and constant monitoring of new threats. As technology and cyber threats evolve, so do our protections. Nuclear power plants stand among the most secure facilities in the country.” This never-ending battle front has made Cyber Security one of the fastest-growing areas in Information Technology.
Cyber Security is important today, tomorrow, and continues to become more important as hackers obtain better tools and continue to increase their hacking skill levels. As most everyone is aware, the concern with hacking and information theft applies equally to us at the individual level, business level, and industry level.
For example, on the personal level, most of us have had some form of information security or identify theft scares; or have experienced emails and/or phone calls threatening to target or shutdown an account, and the uncertainty surrounding not knowing if this is true or not. How many times have you answered your phone only to hang-up or saying, “I’m not interested or available.” It’s continuous and exhausting.
Businesses experience similar threats and are being forced to put card readers at entrances to control un-authorized access; placing signs at entrances that read “Please don’t tailgate”. Billions of dollars are spent every year to protect privacy, keep personal identification information safe, and to maintain security over business information and access, as well as to secure access to industrial systems. But even with these safeguards, hackers, thieves and con-artists seem to be able to access this critical information!
To protect ourselves, other employees, our businesses and clients from the active threats that barrage us every day, we all need to do our part. There are client and company security policies and practices that we all need to be cognizant of and be diligent to follow. These policies may seem to hinder our job performance but are designed to keep us and our workplace safer from a Cyber Security perspective. Be diligent and lock your computer, block suspicious phone numbers and know your caller, report spam, set complex passwords, don’t give out personal information, protect your pin(s), and be alert to those around you.
This may seem obvious but for Cyber Security protection we all need to work to:
Know the Vulnerabilities.
Recognize the Threats.
Protect our Assets.
Mitigate the Damages.
So how is BCP helping to fight this cyber security war? For starters, we’ve assembled a world-class Cyber Security Team and have recently won contracts at Nuclear Utilities doing analysis to help protect Digital Control and Computer Systems. BCP Cyber Security Specialists are well trained and experienced in supporting the NEI 08-09, NEI 13-10 and the ERPI TAM assessment models. The work we do is critically important to the safe, reliable and secure delivery of energy and we take our work seriously. We recognize that our clients need help in their quest to prepare and protect themselves; we recognize that this battle is ongoing and requires us to change, evolve and develop newer and better techniques to stay ahead of the bad guys. We understand the need to do this in a responsible manner and are committed to providing cost-effective solutions that protect our client’s businesses, plants, and assets so that we all can sleep a little better at night.
If you are interested in Cyber Security, want to know more, get involved or have concerns, please contact Henry Walters at HMW@BCPEngineers.com.