It’s When…Not If

This week, Norman’s cyber security awareness video series features a second interview with Jessie Knight, Chairman and CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric. I was lucky enough to sit down with Knight again to discuss the inevitability of cybercrime attempts and the importance of guarding against them. The full episode, titled “It’s When…Not If,” is available on the Norman YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f_WMNJjZxU.

“I’m not a doomsday theorist by any stretch of the imagination, but I think this is a large growing area of concern and threat,” says Knight about the increasing risk of energy-related cyber attacks. Knight’s company and the San Diego community are ahead of the curve when it comes to preparedness. In this segment, he draws on his experience to speak to how other regions can follow suit.

In last week’s video, Knight described the decentralization of energy utilities due to smart grid technologies. This week, he addresses the role of CEOs and senior management in ensuring a smooth and safe transformation, and how cyber security has recently made its way into board rooms as an important discussion topic.

According to Knight, CEOs of energy utilities, energy providers, or even adjacent energy-reliant organizations should consider cyber security a top priority. Company leaders must rely on strong IT managers to maintain strong relationships with energy partners to understand access to the system and potential for data exposure.

Knight expounds on the ever-growing need for cyber security education and advanced threat management tools like Norman’s. We’re honored to be considered a leader in this space by Knight. We’re dedicated to further improving San Diego Gas & Electric’s security and look forward engaging with more communities to prevent cyber attacks.

Please watch the full interview and check back next week for more. On a related note, I am attending the Security Innovation Network (SINET) Workshops and Showcase this week in Washington, and Norman is represented at the ICS Cyber-Security Conference in Norfolk, VA and the FS-ISAC Fall Summit in Leesburg, VA.  I’ll provide a recap of all three events shortly.