The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued new guidance to assist the nation's industry strengthen energy delivery system cybersecurity.
The guidance, named Cybersecurity Procurement Language for Energy Delivery Systems, provides strategies and suggested language to help the US energy sector and technology suppliers build in cybersecurity protections during product design and manufacturing.
It has been developed through a public-private working group that included federal agencies and private industry leaders.
The DOE said that the new guidance focuses on assisting utilities and other energy sector organizations purchase technologies that include cybersecurity protections and features that will help improve the overall reliability and security of power delivery systems and ensure that the testing, manufacturing, delivery and installation of new technologies emphasize cybersecurity requirements.
The US energy secretary Ernest Moniz said, "The Energy Department is committed to building a stronger and more secure electric grid through partnerships with industry, state and local governments and other federal agencies.
"As we deploy advanced technologies to make the U.S. power grid more reliable and resilient, we must simultaneously advance cybersecurity protections.
"The cybersecurity guidance released today will help industry further strengthen these technologies and protect our critical energy infrastructure."
Edison Electric Institute president Tom Kuhn said, "This guidance will further the discussion of cybersecurity requirements between industry operators and suppliers during the procurement process to help build cybersecurity protections into the nation’s evolving energy infrastructure."