Govt sets up CERTs to prevent cyber attacks on power utilities

NEW DELHI: To prevent possible cyber attacks on power utilities, the government has set up dedicated Computer Emergency Response Teams ( CERTs) for thermal and hydro projects besides transmission segment.

The CERTs have been set up by the Power Ministry. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia today said the Ministry has constituted CERTs for Thermal, Hydro and Transmission, with their nodal agencies being NTPC, NHPC and Power Grid, respectively.

The Minister said these teams have been constituted to "take necessary action to prevent cyber attacks on the utilities under their jurisdiction".

Indian Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT-In), under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has prepared a Crisis Management Plan (CMP). The plan is for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism for preventing the large scale disruption in the functioning of critical information systems of government, public and private sector resources and services.

The government-appointed panel, which looked into power grid disturbances in July, had said that cyber attacks can be perpetrated by outsiders or by insiders.

Citing the report, Scindia said that such attacks may have "far reaching and detrimental effects on power systems controls, that could lead to the destabilisation of the supply capabilities of energy sector and may have a cascading effect on the national security/economy".

The Minister was responding to a query on whether the country's transmission and distribution sectors are most vulnerable to crippling cyber attacks on a scale which will have serious implications for national security and economy.