Smart Grid security technology

The security of the United States and the way of life of its citizens is dependant on the availability of the North American power grid. Much of the technology currently in use by the grid is outdated and in many cases unreliable. There have been three major blackouts in the past nine years. Further, the reliance on old technology leads to inefficient systems, costing the utilities and taxpayers unnecessary sums. There is virtually universal agreement that it is imperative to upgrade the electric grid to increase overall system efficiently and reliability. Such upgrades will require significant dependence on distributed intelligence and broadband communication capabilities. The access and communications capabilities require the latest in proven security technology for extremely large, wide area communications networks. This paper discusses the key components for a secure Smart Grid system.