cover title.png

Washington, D.C. – USEA recently published a handbook to provide a comprehensive introduction to the cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, and risks that modern power sector utilities face, as well as potential solutions to these concerns.

The Electricity Sector Cybersecurity and Digitalization Handbook is based on insight provided by experts during the course of a 17-part cybersecurity webinar series hosted by USEA’s Energy Utility Partnership Program (EUPP). EUPP works to improve energy security and clean energy access in USAID-partner countries by providing capacity building to local utilities.

The free handbook is primarily intended to provide utility staff with information, suggestions, useful resources, and other tools to enable them to initiate productive conversations with utility executives about this increasingly important and ever-evolving industry area. The information is also relevant to energy sector regulators and government officials who provide utilities in their region with guidance, incentives, and funding to address cybersecurity.

The text is also a tool for utilities that might lack the physical or financial resources to tackle cybersecurity issues or prevention tactics. The handbook demystifies these processes by providing an overview of what is available, what is necessary, identifying free resources, potential solutions, and ideas on how to get started.

“As we have all seen in recent news, the consequences of failing to ensure cybersecurity has dire consequences. It is not something that providers of a crucial service such as electricity can ignore,” said Johanna Koolemans-Beynen, a USEA Senior Program Coordinator who spearheaded the handbook’s creation.

“Cybersecurity can seem like an expensive and complicated issue, but this handbook gives beginners tips to incorporate security measures into their systems and more advanced users pointers on next steps and how to resolve implementation problems.”

Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the handbook aims to encourage USEA partners to integrate cybersecurity into the utility business process throughout the world.

USEA Acting Executive Director Sheila Hollis issued the following statement:

“This informative handbook is a prime example of how USEA’s partnership with USAID benefits and protects critical energy infrastructure. Cybersecurity is a crucial component of our industry, and USEA stands ready to promote a positive dialogue on the path forward. I sincerely thank our great team and their counterparts at USAID who made this handbook a possibility.”

###