NERC CIP Learning Path
7 hours, 10 minutes
Quick facts
About this learning path
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courses
100% online
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Duration
7 hours, 10 minutes
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Assessment
questions
About NERC CIP
NERC CIP is a field designed to protect the bulk electric system. The focus of this NERC CIP learning path is on having a stronger concept of understanding and the skill sets to immediately implement and assist your organization. Through this, you will gain fundamental knowledge of NERC CIP standards, as well as access to an expert compliance analyst.
Syllabus
Introduction to NERC CIP
Course - 00:42:00
Welcome to NERC CIP. Have you ever wondered how cybersecurity plays a role in protecting our grid critical infrastructure? How did the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standards come into existence? What are the controlling families under NERC CIP and who enforces the standards? Let's find out.
The CIP-002 standard
Course - 00:43:00
CIP-002 is the foundation of all the CIP standards and is critical to the success of your CIP program. Here, we will learn how NERC CIP categorizes critical assets into different classifications. The key terms that NERC CIP uses for classifications can easily become confusing, so it is vital that you gain a clear and concise understanding of the terms.
Cybersecurity personnel & training
Course - 00:36:00
What type of training does your facility utilize to train and vet employees? Once they have completed the required training, what type of access controls do you have in place to allow employees access to logically and physically CIP-restricted areas?
Electronic security perimeter
Course - 00:27:00
CIP-005 is about managing your electronic security perimeter, which protects critical cyber assets that reside inside. You'll also explore documenting all known access point to the perimeter
Cybersecurity physical security of BES cyber systems
Course - 00:39:00
n CIP-005, we learned how to logically protect your BES cyber assets. CIP-006 is the physical security protection plan that specifies how you will protect these areas.
Cybersecurity system security management
Course - 00:35:00
In CIP-002, we learned how to assess a cyber asset and its classification into BES cyber system (BCS), electronic access control and monitoring system (EACMS), physical access control system (PACS) or protected cyber asset (PCA). CIP-007 is about documenting additional security measures for these assets.
Cybersecurity incident reporting and response planning
Course - 00:28:00
n the event of a security breach, what are your cybersecurity incident reporting and response plans? Do you run drills and exercises? What is your entity's policies and procedures to address these concerns?
Cybersecurity recovery plans for BES cyber systems
Course - 00:22:00
As part of a compliance program, you are required to have a cybersecurity recovery plan in place in the event of an attack. If data is lost, it needs to be quickly recoverable.
Cybersecurity configuration change management and vulnerability assessments
Course - 00:45:00
New devices are constantly being commissioned and may need changes over their lifetime of use. CIP-010 provides the requirements of preventing and detecting unauthorized changes and conducting vulnerability assessments to your BES cyber systems. Transient cyber assets (TCA) and removable media (RM) are not CIP-002 classifications and fall in their own category and pose unique challenges to your CIP defenses.
Cybersecurity information protection
Course - 00:18:00
Now you have CIP-002 to CIP-010 policies and procedures, network drawings and physical security plans completed. But where do you store this information? That is where CIP-011 comes in. CIP-011 is where you protect and secure handling of BES cyber system information in storage, transit and use.
Security management controls
Course - 00:25:00
Now that we have covered CIP-002 through CIP-011, we now circle back to CIP-003. CIP-003 is a review of your entities CIP program that CIP Senior Management reviews and approves every 15 months. CIP-003 is also unique in that it addresses low impact entities.
Cybersecurity supply chain risk management
Course - 00:15:00
Companies require outside hardware and software that have to be purchased by third party. How well do you trust your vendors? Do you know where everything has been? What processes do you have in place to vet vendors?
Physical security (transmission stations and substations only)
Course - 00:19:00
Like CIP-006, CIP-014 focuses on physical security with the difference being that CIP-014 only focuses on transmission stations/substations and control centers.
Cybersecurity communications between control centers
Course - 00:12:00
Communication between control centers is vital in keeping our grid up and running. In order for this to happen, the data needs to be encrypted to allow for safe communication of data between control centers.
Reliability standard audit worksheet (RSAW)
Course - 00:24:00
The Reliability Standard Audit Worksheet (RSAW) is a document used by auditors that will list with CIP standard is in scope for your entity.
Meet the author
Sean Flaherty
The details
Learning path insights
How to claim CPEs
Should you complete this learning path, you’ll be able to download a certificate of completion. Use this to claim your CPEs or CPUs.
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