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Smarter & safer distribution of energy through smart grids: Agency workshop

ENISA is conducting a workshop in Brussels on the Security Certification of the Smart Grids. Smart Grids can make future energy distribution more efficient. At the same time, they must be set up in a secure way, to be rolled out successfully.

Published on June 27, 2012

Smart grids-workshop -for a more secure and effective distribution of energy

Today, 27th June, ENISA is conducting a workshop in Brussels together with the European Commission dedicated to the Security Certification of the Smart Grid components. Smart Grids are essential to make future energy distribution more efficient. At the same time, they must be set up in a secure way, to be rolled out successfully. Therefore, security certification across Europe and this workshop is an important step to ensure this.


Workshop objectives
To:

  • support the Member States in better understanding the challenges of the Smart Grid component certification process
  • contribute to a harmonization of different certification policies of the  Member States
  •  invite Member States to present their national certification schemes

      and the private sector to present their views on the matter

  • debate about the possible steps to take, at national and EU level, to speed up the secure introduction of Smart Grids


What are smart grids?
A Smart Grid is an upgraded electricity network, with two-way digital communication between the supplier and the consumer, with intelligent metering and monitoring, which can show the behaviour and actions of all users connected to a Smart Grid. As a result, a user can for example more easily opt to use electricity when it is cheaper, so that energy also would be used more more efficiently. This will dramatically change and improve the control and distribution of energy, for solar panels, small wind turbines, and electric vehicles, machines, etc of ordinary citizens as well for business and industries. This will be to the benefit of consumers, electricity suppliers and grid operators. At the same time, improved operations will come at the cost of exposing the entire electricity network to information security challenges. Therefore ENISA is working on mitigating these challenges.


Agenda
Read the agenda of the workshop.


Draft future report on Cyber Security Aspects of Smart Grids
At the workshop, a draft version of the forthcoming report on  Cyber Security Aspects of Smart Grids, to be published in the middle of July, will be discussed and consolidated.

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