ICS Lab for Grid Security Research, Training and Demonstrations

In case you're not already tuned into this community, but might want to be, I submit for your review the contents of an email I received yesterday.  It goes like this:

Greetings ICS-ISAC Members and partners! 

The ICS-ISAC and MS-ISAC are partnering with several key Members to create an ICS Security Lab as a shared asset for research, training and demonstrations. Physically hosted in Livermore, CA by Robot Garden the Lab is now in Phase One of procuring equipment and establishing the virtual capabilities that Members can have access to. 

If you are interested in participating in this activity or have equipment that would be of benefit to this endeavor please send a note to ICS-ISAC Chair Chris Blask at chris@ics-isac.org
There is also a LinkedIn group for collaboration at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4932821&trk=anet_ug_hm&goback=%2Emyg

Acronym Legend:

ICS-ISAC = Industrial Control Systems Information Sharing and Analysis Center

MS-ISAC = Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center

That's all I got.

Covering the 3rd Smart Grid Security Summit

Have iPad with Twitter app loaded: will travel. When I'm not tripping over words as a moderator or panelist over the next two days, I'll try to give you a feel for who's saying what here in San Diego.

I came in late today and caught the tail end of the privacy workshop. Then onto a social gathering sponsored by the Canadian Consulate in a so-called Tiki room (see reference image above - conference attendees, you decide), where we got a little more privacy, courtesy of the Ontario Information and Privacy Commission. Other workshops today covered advanced AMI security and security testing.

All good stuff, and ready to dig into security topics tomorrow. For Twitter followers, will use #smartgrid #security and #sgssummit. And once again, here's the conference site.

Photo credit: http://www.nuthousepunks.com/blog/

Itron Pays for its own Smart Grid Security Tests

Here's smart meter maker Itron blazing a new trail others will soon be following, and perhaps in so doing, making a good name for itself as a proactive and responsible vendor:

Itron is paying for the security evaluation, but company officials have not said how much the tests will cost. "Our hope is we eventually will take the knowledge we gain by working with Itron and transition it out to third-party cyber-security firms," said Ethan Huffman, a spokesman at INL, which contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy.