90% of Energy Security Pros Say We Need Smart Grid Security Standards

PRESS RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA— April 18, 2012— nCircle, the leader in information risk and security performance management, today announced the results of a survey of 104 security professionals in the energy and utility industry. nCircle and EnergySec, a DOE-funded, public-private partnership that works to enhance the cyber security of the electric infrastructure, jointly sponsored the survey. The online survey was conducted between March 12 and March 31, 2012. Highlights of the study include: · 75% of energy security professionals believe smart grid security has not been adequately addressed in smart grid deployment · 72% of energy security professionals believe smart grid security standards aren’t moving fast enough to keep up with deployment

"Security has been addressed to varying degrees in many smart grid deployments, however it is going to be a challenge to keep pace with the constantly changing security landscape,” said Patrick Miller, CEO of EnergySec. “The analog and mechanical devices installed in most utilities were designed for a very different maintenance model than newer digital equipment being designed and installed today."

Elizabeth Ireland, vice president of marketing for nCircle noted, “It’s pretty clear that information security professionals in the energy industry are uncomfortable with standards currently available for smart grid technology. Defining and implementing meaningful security standards is always a challenge but without standards, adoption of critical security controls across the smart grid industry is likely to be uneven at best.”

More information on the nCircle and EnergySec Smart Grid survey is available here: http://www.ncircle.com/index.php?s=resources_surveys_Survey-SmartGrid-2012#standards.

About EnergySec

EnergySec is a community of information security, physical security, audit, disaster recovery, and business continuity professionals from energy industry utilities. Participation is international, including all regions throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. EnergySec operates many programs, events and technology solutions designed to help improve the security posture of the energy sector. EnergySec is incorporated as a non-profit organization and is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. For more information, visit http://www.energysec.org.

About nCircle

nCircle is the leading provider of information risk and security performance management solutions to more than 6,500 businesses and government agencies worldwide. nCircle solutions enable enterprises of all sizes to (1) automate compliance and reduce risk, and (2) measure and compare the performance of their IT security program with their own goals and industry peers. nCircle solutions may be deployed on a customer’s premises, as a cloud-based service, or in combination, for maximum flexibility and value.

nCircle has won numerous awards for growth, innovation, customer satisfaction and technology leadership and has been ranked among the top 100 best places to work in the San Francisco Bay Area. nCircle is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with regional offices throughout the United States and in London and Toronto. To learn how you can more effectively protect your company visit us at http://www.ncircle.com.

nCircle is a registered trademark of nCircle Network Security, Inc. All other registered or unregistered trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.