As utilities around the
world have initiated major smart grid infrastructure upgrades over
the past several years, cyber security has become a critical
priority.  Security measures are designed to protect the
electrical grid from attacks by terrorists and hackers, as well as
strengthening its resilience against natural disasters and
inadvertent threats such as equipment failures and user
errors. 

According to a new report from href=”http://www.pikeresearch.com/” target=”_blank”>Pike
Research, the intense focus on smart grid cyber security from
utilities, infrastructure vendors, standards bodies, and world
governments is spurring a surge in revenue growth, and the
cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts that the sector will
increase from $1.2 billion in 2009 to $3.7 billion by
2015. 

During the period from 2010 to 2015, Pike Research
anticipates that a total of approximately $21 billion will be
invested in global smart grid cyber security deployments.

“No utility wants to be the weak link in the chain,” says
managing director Clint Wheelock.  “The concern over grid
vulnerability is driving utility technologists to work closely with
systems integrators, infrastructure suppliers, and standards bodies
to develop a robust framework for smart grid cyber security across
multiple domains.” 

Wheelock adds that this process has accelerated over the past
year, spurred in large part by the U.S. Department of Energy’s
smart grid stimulus programs, the standards initiatives of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and key
priorities promoted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC).

Pike Research forecasts that equipment protection and
configuration management will be the largest security category over
the next several years.  Among smart grid applications, the
firm expects that the greatest investments will go into cyber
security for distribution automation (DA) and transmission
upgrades, followed by security measures for advanced metering
infrastructure (AMI) smart meters.

Pike Research’s report, href=”http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/smart-grid-cyber-security”
target=”_blank”>”Smart Grid Cyber Security”, analyzes global
market trends in terms of business drivers, technologies,
standards, objectives, and requirements.    The
report examines five key cyber security categories: 
policy/planning/awareness, equipment protection and configuration
management, monitoring and incidence response,
access/audit/integrity, and risk management. 

It includes profiles of key industry players and detailed market
forecasts for world regions, segmented by application, through
2015.  An Executive Summary of the report is available for
free download on the firm’s href=”http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/smart-grid-cyber-security”
target=”_blank”>website.