The document summarizes the results of a 2014 cybersecurity survey of the smart grid. It found that over 70% of respondents viewed security as a big or very big problem currently and in the next five years. Respondents rated power outages, system failures, and power flow disruption as the highest consequence events. To remedy security concerns, respondents believed government standards and legal ramifications would be most effective. Over half felt the grid was only slightly prepared or not prepared at all for security threats. Most organizations planned to invest less than $5 million in cybersecurity technologies in the next year, with the largest investments going to distribution automation and advanced metering infrastructure.

1. SMART Modular Technologies Presents
2014SMARTGRID
CYBERSECURITY SURVEY
The smart grid has expanded rapidly over the past few years
but security is a growing concern
HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM IS SECURITY
NOW FOR THE SMART GRID?
8%
21%
A small problem
A moderate problem
32%
A big problem
40%
A very big problem
HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM DO YOU BELIEVE SECURITY FOR
THE SMART GRID WILL BE IN FIVE YEARS?
10%
29%
A small problem
A moderate problem
23%
A big problem
A very big problem
37%
Power outages occur
4.3
System failure (outages)
4.6
Power flow is disrupted
4.1
Consumer data privacy
3.8
Equipment is damaged
4.0
Energy theft or hacking
of smart meters
3.6
Smart meters are hacked
3.5
SMART GRID AREA
OF CONCERN RATING*
CONSEQUENCE SEVERITY OF UTILITY
SECURITY BREACH RATING*
*Respondents were asked to rate their level of concern and severity on these areas of security using a scale
of 1 to 5. With 1 being low concern/low severity and 5 being extremely high concern/extremely high severity.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REMEDY SMART GRID SECURITY CONCERNS?
15%
38%
Customer
demand
Government
standards
30%
Legal
ramifications,
penalties
6%
Public pressure
(media attention)
Incentives
11% (e.g., government grants)
IS GRID PREPARED FOR THE THREATS TO ITS SECURITY?
13%
4%
Yes, well prepared
Yes, moderately prepared
32%
Yes, but only slightly prepared
51%
No, not prepared at all
HOW MUCH IS YOUR ORGANIZATION PLANNING TO INVEST IN CYBER
SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES OVER THE NEXT YEAR?
han $500
ss t
,0
Le
More than
$5,000,000
00
$100,000
than
ess
L
22%
34%
13%
ss
,0
Le
a n $ 1, 0 0
7% Less than
$5,000,000
Less than $2,500,000
00
15%
th
8%
0
WHAT AREA OF THE GRID WILL THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT
BE MADE OVER THE NEXT YEAR?
Distribution
Automation
Advanced
Metering
Infrastructure
20%
Transmission
Systems
30%
7%
Substation
Automation
www.smartm.com
16%
Enterprise
Level IT systems
7%
20%
Customer
Systems
www.smartgridresearch.org
Source: Zpryme online survey of 111 energy and utility executives conducted in November 2013. SMART Modular is
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