Bob Kolasky to Speak at FERC’s Annual Commissioner-led Reliability Technical Conference

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has asked Exiger’s Senior Vice President for Critical Infrastructure Bob Kolasky, to participate in the Annual Commissioner-led Reliability Technical Conference. This conference in Washington D.C. is open to the public to learn from experts discussing policy issues, such as the reliability and security of the Bulk-Power System.

Bob will be joining industry experts on:

Panel II:
Managing Cyber Security Threats, the CIP Reliability Standards, and Best Practices for the Bulk-Power System

Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 2:45 PM EST

For Bob Kolasky’s testimony detailing the risk picture and mitigation challenges, click below.

Cyber security vulnerabilities and threats continue to evolve at a pace that tests utility cyber security programs. These quickly evolving threats present a challenge when assessing whether security controls, including the CIP Reliability Standards, adequately respond to the latest cyber risks. Most utilities with mature cyber security programs implement an overarching cyber security governance program to oversee all aspects of their cyber security activities, including compliance with the CIP Reliability Standards, staffing, technology selection and procurement, and identification of the assets to be protected. 

A cyber security governance program provides several benefits, including:

• The ability to assess emerging threats to systems and operations;
• The establishment of well defined ownership of cyber security processes and procedures;
• The prioritization of actions to maintain the security and reliability of the Bulk-Power System;
• Managing and bridging cyber systems with different risk levels; and
• Compliance with CIP Reliability Standards, various Federal mandates, as well as State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial requirements. 

This panel will discuss how cyber security governance encompasses the CIP Reliability Standards and compliance as well as best practices; the challenges of implementing appropriate oversight; and ways in which industry can address these challenges to improve its response to evolving vulnerabilities and threats to reduce the risk to the Bulk-Power System.

Panelists

• Bob Kolasky, Senior Vice President for Critical Infrastructure, Exiger
• Jason Blake, President and CEO, SERC
• Eric Miller, Executive Director, IT Infrastructure & Real-Time Application Support, MISO
• Brandon Wales, Executive Director, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Brian Barrios, Vice President, Cybersecurity and IT Compliance, Southern California Edison
• Danielle Jablanski, OT Cybersecurity Strategist, Nozomi Networks

For more information on the full event, view the itinerary here.