Cybersecurity is vital to improving the security and reliability of the Western Interconnection power grid. As one of the most complex and critical infrastructures, the importance of prioritizing the continued security of the power grid should be at the top of the list. There are many different options that can improve security levels of both a physical and logical nature, such as disk drive encryption, digital certificates, Transport Layer Security (TLS), and Virtual Private Networks.
Recommendation: Implement Full Disk Encryption
Full disk encryption is the ability to convert data into unreadable code that can only be deciphered by authorized people. The encryption can include almost everything on the system such as temporary files and swap files. Unlike file encryption, where the decision of which files to encrypt is left up to the user, disk encryption removes the user’s ability to choose, thus making it more secure. This is especially important for mobile devices such as laptops and tablets, as the likelihood of a data …show more content…
This will require the ability to perform certain automated tasks: “Deploy appropriate management systems that can support the provision of the services within the appropriate resources; Setting up VPNs on demand, depending on the user and network’s context; Support for automatic vertical handover to ensure the best possible access to the network; Support for the management communication overlays’ setting up with uniform distribution of traffic load; Reaction to Quality of Service degradations identifying their causes and restoring the services concerned in a transparent manner” (Davy, Steven, 2010, p. 106). Using the strongest possible encryption method for VPN access is also a way to continue to improve the security of the VPN. As additional encryption methods are introduced they need to be worked in to the VPN
Recommendation: Implement Full Disk Encryption
Full disk encryption is the ability to convert data into unreadable code that can only be deciphered by authorized people. The encryption can include almost everything on the system such as temporary files and swap files. Unlike file encryption, where the decision of which files to encrypt is left up to the user, disk encryption removes the user’s ability to choose, thus making it more secure. This is especially important for mobile devices such as laptops and tablets, as the likelihood of a data …show more content…
This will require the ability to perform certain automated tasks: “Deploy appropriate management systems that can support the provision of the services within the appropriate resources; Setting up VPNs on demand, depending on the user and network’s context; Support for automatic vertical handover to ensure the best possible access to the network; Support for the management communication overlays’ setting up with uniform distribution of traffic load; Reaction to Quality of Service degradations identifying their causes and restoring the services concerned in a transparent manner” (Davy, Steven, 2010, p. 106). Using the strongest possible encryption method for VPN access is also a way to continue to improve the security of the VPN. As additional encryption methods are introduced they need to be worked in to the VPN