Ministry of Power
azadi ka amrit mahotsav

CYBERSECURITY OF POWER GRIDS

Posted On: 08 AUG 2024 4:15PM by PIB Delhi

Central Government has taken several steps to ensure Cyber Security of the Power grid.  Under the Information Technology Act, 2000, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has been designated as the national agency for responding to cyber security incidents. Further, National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) has been established to

ensure protection of critical information infrastructure in the country including power sector. Computer Security Incident Response Team Power (CSIRT - Power) has been established in April, 2023 exclusively for the Power Sector. Additionally, Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) have been setup for Thermal, Hydro, Transmission, Distribution, Grid Operation and Renewable Energy sectors.

The following key steps have been taken to improve cyber security infrastructure relating to the power grid:

  1. GRID-INDIA has established a Security Operation Centre (SOC) to monitor security events and incidents across Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs) and National Load Despatch Centres (NLDC). Information Technology (IT) infrastructure of NLDC has been improved with advanced security features.
  2. A Security Operation Centre (SOC) has been set up in POWERGRID for 24X7 monitoring of critical assets.
  3. Several IT infrastructure upgrades have been performed to improve cyber security across multiple states in the past five years viz.,
  • Manipur SLDC – Two new firewalls and web servers commissioned.
  • Chhattisgarh SLDC – Network Management System (NMS) and next generation firewall implemented.
  • Kerala SLDC – Centralized End Point Protection implemented.
  • Bihar SLDC –Security Operation Centre (SOC) set up.
  • Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi SLDCs – Next generation firewall implemented and
  • 11 SLDCs (Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Odisha, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Damodar Valley Corporation, Tripura, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Bhakra Beas Management Board) have acquired ISO27001 (Information Security Management System) certification.
  1. Upgradation to the existing Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in Andhra Pradesh SLDC is in progress. Firewalls for the IT infrastructure have been procured and commissioned.

 

As of March, 2024, 30 out of 35 State Load Despatch Centres managing the grid operations have conducted Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT) cyber security audits in the past five years (Annexure).

No such cyber security incident has been reported which affected the operations of Indian Power Grid.

Workshops, trainings, awareness sessions, conferences and cyber security exercises are being organized regularly by various agencies including NCIIPC, CERT-IN and CSIRT-Power for utilities, industry and academia to spread awareness among the stakeholders. Cyber Jaagrukta Diwas is organized on first Wednesday of every month to create cybersecurity awareness among all employees. Power sector employees are also encouraged to obtain certifications and attend courses offered by agencies such as National Power Training Institute (NPTI) and Rashtriya Raksha University.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Power, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

 

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MJPS/SK

ANNEXURE

Grid Utilities – Status of VAPT Cyber Security Audit

 

Sl. No.

State/UT

SLDCs

Status  (VAPT-Cyber Security Audit Done-Year)

1

Punjab 

Punjab SLDC, Patiala

2021, 2022, 2023

2

Haryana

Haryana SLDC, Panipat

2021,2022, 2023

3

Himachal Pradesh 

Himachal Pradesh SLDC, Shimla,

2021,2022, 2023

4

J&K 

J&K SLDC – Jammu

2021,2022, 2023, 2024

5

Rajasthan 

Rajasthan SLDC, Jaipur

2021,2022, 2023,2024

6

Uttar Pradesh 

Uttar Pradesh SLDC, Lucknow

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

7

Uttarakhand 

Uttarakhand SLDC, Dehradun

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

8

Delhi

Delhi, SLDC New Delhi

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

9

Chandigarh 

Bhakra Beas Management Board SLDC Chandigarh

2021, 2022, 2023

10

Gujarat 

Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited SLDC

2022, 2023, 2024

11

Chhattisgarh 

Chhattisgarh SLDC, Raipur

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

12

Madhya Pradesh 

Madhya Pradesh SLDC, Jabalpur

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

13

Maharashtra 

Maharashtra SLDC, Navi Mumbai

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

14

Goa 

Goa SLDC, Panaji

2021, 2022, 2023

15

U.T. of Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Electricity Department, Daman & Diu

2021, 2022, 2023

16

Andhra Pradesh 

Andhra Pradesh SLDC, Vijayawada

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

17

Karnataka

Karnataka SLDC, Bangalore

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

18

Kerala

Kerala SLDC, Kalamassery, Cochin

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

19

Tamil Nadu 

Tamil Nadu SLDC, Chennai

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

20

Telangana 

Telangana SLDC, Hyderabad

2021, 2022, 2024

21

Puducherry 

Puducherry SLDC, Puducherry

2022, 2024

22

Arunachal Pradesh 

Arunachal Pradesh SLDC

2022, 2023, 2024

23

Assam

Assam, SLDC, Guwahati

2022, 2023, 2024

24

Manipur

Manipur SLDC, Imphal

2022, 2023, 2024

25

Meghalaya

Meghalaya SLDC, Shillong

2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

26

Mizoram 

Mizoram SLDC, Mizoram

2022, 2023, 2024

27

Nagaland 

Nagaland SLDC, Dimapur

 

28

Tripura 

Tripura SLDC, Agartala

 

29

Bihar 

Bihar SLDC, Patna

 

30

Jharkhand 

Jharkhand SLDC, Ranchi

2020, 2022, 2023

31

West Bengal 

West Bengal SLDC, Howrah

 

32

Orissa 

Orissa SLDC, Bhubaneshwar

2021, 2022, 2024

33

DVC

DVC, SLDC, Howrah & Kolkata

2021, 2022, 2023

34

Sikkim

Sikkim SLDC, Gangtok

 

35

 

 

Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) 6 control centers

NLDC, NRLDC, SRLDC, WRLDC, ERLDC, NERLDC

 

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

 

 


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