2nd Annual Smart Grid Security Summit opens in Dubai to address critical security needs

SEWA, HAAD, NES & Oracle among participating organizations that throw spotlight on threats lurking on Smart Grids & measures to avert them

The 2^nd Annual Smart Grid Security Summit, a security conference dedicated to utilities, regulators, ministries, consultants, researchers and vendors, opened today (Monday, May 22, 2017) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai. Organized by the OSGP Alliance, the global non-profit association dedicated to promoting the adoption of the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP). The conference has gathered industry stakeholders from the region and the world to discuss critical smart grid security needs through a series of case studies and related presentations.

Mariusz Jurcyzk, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project Manager for Tauron Group, the second-largest electricity supplier in Poland serving approximately 5.4 million customers, presented the first case study on AMIplus Smart City Wroclaw, focusing on interoperability and security as the key priorities for Smart Grids.

H.E. Dr. Rashid Alleem, Chairman, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA), said: “The 2^nd Annual Smart Grid Security Summit is highly relevant in the context of the UAE, which currently needs to address its rising energy demands through sustainable and clean energy. The Smart Grid system is a perfect solution for our diversification efforts to gradually steer away from non-renewable energy resources. The case studies and roundtable sessions provide valuable insights on energy-efficient technologies that will ensure uninterrupted supply, optimized efficiency, and rationalized consumption.”

The session on ‘NES Patagonia Security: A Practical Perspective’ by Emil Gurevitch of NES focused on actual events and practices rather than on theories. While the first part of the session dealt with real-world examples, the second part focused on the benefits and features of the NES Patagonia Solution.

“At OSGP, we are impressed by the latest innovations in the Middle East and especially in the GCC towards increasing adoption of Smart Grid solutions,” said Bo Danielsen, Chairman of the OSGP Alliance, and the head of installation and metering at SEAS-NVE, “Alongside recognizing the long-term benefits of Smart Grids, it is imperative to have a deeper understanding of the associated security issues to protect the data generated by the network from any breaches. The 2^nd Annual Smart Grid Security Summit continues to inform the audience about the functioning of the grids and advanced metering infrastructures (AMI) as well as offers recommendations through successful case studies to help the region overcome its reliance on oil-based energy sources and make a swift move towards a non-oil economy.”

The case study entitled ‘A Collaborative Approach to Grid Security’ by Danielsen and Gurevitch was about NES’s joint project with consumer-owned energy company SEAS-NVE for a Danish utility. This session emphasized the need for collaboration on security within the grid industry as well as presented a perspective on a secure grid and ways to achieve it. On the other hand, the session on ‘Emerging Cyber Threats and Counter Measure’ by Muhammed Adil Hayat Khan, Security Infrastructure Specialist, Health Authority Abu Dhabi, emphasized on digital vulnerabilities and possible solutions to address this type of problem.

Speaking on ‘Managing Smart Grid Devices Security and Configuration Challenges,’ Wail Gadour, Sales Consulting Director - MEA, Oracle, said: “A Secured Smart Grid is a priority for utilities with smart meters and necessary to derive multiple benefits of the network, including rationalized consumption of water and electricity and reduction in carbon footprints. We need to build frameworks using the latest techniques and algorithms that are quick to detect anomalies and avert major mishaps.”

Networked Energy Services Corporation (NES), a global smart grid market leader with the industry’s leading Energy Applications Platform (EAP ™), is the Platinum Sponsor of the 2017 Annual Smart Grid Security Summit.