VIDEOS: CAPITOL HILL EVENT: Securing Smart Grid Data – 5.12.17

The Lexington Institute hosted a Capitol Hill Forum on Securing Smart Grid Data on Friday, May 12. Click on the names of the speakers below to view videos of their speeches.

Videos of Speeches:

Ms. Allison J. Bender, Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells (former Cybersecurity Attorney, Department of Homeland Security
Ms. Sarah Cortes, President, Inman Technology (Co-author, National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Guidelines for Privacy and the Smart Grid)
Ms. Constance Douris, Vice President, Lexington Institute
Ms. Kelsey Finch, Policy Counsel, Future of Privacy Forum
Dr. Deborah Hurley, Professor, Harvard University and Brown University
Mr. Paul Joyal, Managing Director, National Strategies, Inc.
Ms. Maggie McCarey, Manager, Regulatory Affairs, Oracle Utilities
Mr. Phil Moeller, Senior Vice President, Edison Electric Institute
Mr. Richard Mroz, President, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
Dr. Michael Pesin, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
Ms. Hannah Polikov, Director, Advanced Energy Economy
Ms. Audra E. Ryan-Jones, Vice President, DXC Technology
Mr. Gilbert Sorebo, Chief Cybersecurity Technologist, Leidos
Mr. Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst, The American Civil Liberties Union
Dr. Jeffrey Starr, Managing Partner, Neo Prime Solutions, Inc. (former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense)

The electric grid is becoming more modern to increase energy efficiency, reliability and security. As a result, digital technology is being deployed to allow for two-way communication and controlling of equipment. While these informational technologies will benefit the electric grid and its reliability for consumers and businesses, they also cause new interdependencies and vulnerabilities. How to manage securing these technologies and protecting privacy of data have become critical issues.

One example of such technology is the smart meter, which records necessary information in intervals to communicate with utilities to monitor usage and bill customers. Data generated by smart meters also allows consumers to manage electricity use online and control billing costs, provides faster power outage notifications and monitors power quality utilizing real-time sensors, eliminating the need for a meter reader to visit a home or business.

While traditional meters provide information once a month, thousands of readings could be retrieved from a smart meter during the same period. Data provides not only how much electricity is used but also the time of day it is consumed.

Electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners can be identified by their load signatures to spot behavioral patterns and even perform real-time surveillance. Utilities could profit by sharing the data and that information may become more valuable than consumed electricity. In addition, digital transmission and storage of data is vulnerable to cyber threats and could allow authorized and unauthorized access to information.

Lexington Institute
Securing Smart Grid Data
Capitol Hill Forum
Friday, May 12, 2017
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Room SD-G50
2nd Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002