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be used to help protect employees as well as utility equipment. On at least four occasions within the past decade, vandals used high- powered rifles to shoot at remote transformers, causing millions of dollars in losses and a blackout in one case.
Line disruption detection systems using acoustic technologies to detect and locate problems along transmission lines. Knowing the precise site of a problem is vital as lines may often run hundreds of miles from power plants to cities. Quickly locating and remedying a problem may save blackouts and situations such as faulty infrastructure enabling cables to sag and potentially ignite wildfires. Systems also create alerts when attempted cable thefts are detected.
Progressive utilities embrace the move to replace door hardware and intelligent controllers using the Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), now recognized as the international standard for secure access control installations. OSDP enables the use of highly secure card technologies with AES-128-bit signal encryption protocol. Hackers easily intercept signals between proximity cards and readers to clone working credentials.
Every utility requires a single or regional command center enabling guards to monitor many disparate systems from a secured location.
Innovative integrators are now embedding staff within a utility’s security personnel. There’s no wait for service when a device fails – a technician is already on the job. Over time, the embedded staff learns the specific needs of a utility and can often spot and remedy problems before an emergency occurs. The embedded staff arrangement often works better than a traditional service level agreement between a utility and its integrator. SLAs typically allow
the integrator several hours to respond to emergencies. And there may be debates about what constitutes an emergency.
As part of their daily jobs, embedded technicians may handle tasks such as printing badges for new employees, visitors and vendors. They may program and name the hundreds or thousands of cameras in use while ensuring backups and maintenance with the latest software updates.
AN INTEGRATOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Speaking from an integrator’s perspective, one of the biggest challenges in securing a utility is timing and regulations. A utility security staff moves quickly once it has an approved initiative. And they may have massive lists, such as a request to install microwave sensors at 200 remote sites within a month. With most other customers, the integrator would enlist and manage subcontractors to get the job done. But that’s often impossible as firms working at a regulated utility must be certified. This points out the need to carefully plan for security upgrades.
Of course, any utility installations include cameras, access control, intrusion, visitor management and other security systems found at most enterprise organizations. However, unlike some larger organizations, utilities have no room for downtime. Innovative security systems and services
are necessary to protect electric utilities that provide an invaluable energy source to American homes and businesses.
John Nemerofsky is chief operating officer for Kent, Ohio-based Sage Integration.
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