CSC Experts Share Insights at Next Generation Utilities Summit
Disruptions to critical infrastructure can be very costly, so organizations must identify key assets and make the necessary investments to protect them, according to Ron Dick, director of CSC’s Homeland Security Protection Center. Dick discussed risk management priorities and critical infrastructure protection in his keynote address at the Next Generation Utilities: Technology Summit 2008, held March 24-26 in Austin, Texas.
Ron Dick, CSC
"From a boardroom standpoint, the most effective approach is to establish priorities and expenditures commensurate with the enterprise’s stakeholder value-at-risk," Dick told an audience of select C-level utility industry executives. Although major infrastructure disruptions do not occur very often, when they do, they could have highly detrimental effects on shareholder value, Dick said, so businesses must quantify the consequences.
With more than 30 years of industry experience, Dick is regarded as a leading cybersecurity expert. Prior to joining CSC in 2003, he served as director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center, as well as deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. The event also featured a Green IT workshop hosted by Doug Neal, research fellow with CSC’s Leading Edge Forum Executive Programme.
Managing your risks The nation’s power grid and critical infrastructure are highly vulnerable to security breaches and natural disasters that can have adverse consequences. Dick’s keynote focused on how enterprises should address critical infrastructure protection issues, as well as key principles to consider when designing "smart" power grids. "It is essential for you as business leaders to identify the assets that are most vital to your ongoing operations and shareholder value," Dick said. "Then, focus your limited resources on those things that will have a significant consequence to the company, be it economic, brand, reputation integrity or even human lives."
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When it comes to the asset protection process, Dick said enterprises tend to place too much emphasis on compiling lists of critical infrastructure. "That’s list management. There needs to be a transition to risk management. You need to quantify the consequences of high-impact incidents and discern what requires investment dollars." In addition to allocating resources for protection and response plans, Dick said, organizations should identify intersystem vulnerabilities and promote the sharing of information between systems and jurisdictions.
CSC has developed a methodology that helps companies identify high-impact risks to crucial assets so executives can make well-informed business decisions. CSC’s Protected Enterprise framework helps companies connect security policy and operations with business strategies. The service offers a unique approach to managing security and compliance by applying the expertise of more than 1,000 CSC information security practitioners, industry best practices and leading technology tools.
Green IT challenges and solutions Also appearing at Summit 2008 was CSC’s Neal, who led a workshop discussion on the challenges and opportunities of Green IT. The session focused on alternative energy issues and what enterprises can do to reduce energy consumption. Neal conducted a study tour on the topic in San Francisco and Silicon Valley in October 2007, and recently authored a position paper, "Green IT—Moving Beyond the 2% Solution," which also served as the title of the workshop.
In his presentation, Neal said studies show that IT usage makes up only about two percent of energy consumption in the Unites States. He advocated that enterprises use a holistic approach to move beyond the two percent solution by applying information technology to reduce energy usage. Advanced technologies can be successfully applied to the measurement, monitoring and display that are vital to addressing the other 98 percent.
Among the solutions Neal presented were how companies can reduce power consumption and increase recycling and reuse. The session also included a discussion on using IT effectively to reduce office space, improve logistics and automate customer service. Neal presented a four-step environmental planning process that recommended companies increase executive awareness, develop a comprehensive strategy and implement pilot projects.
The Next Generation Utilities: Technology Summit is organized by GDS International and is designed to help industry executives address the key challenges facing electric utilities in North America and Europe. CSC has supported the energy industry since 1994, providing a full array of services, including management consulting, IT outsourcing and regulation compliance support.
