Cybersecurity threat 'keeps us up at night,' says Hydro Ottawa CEO

As the electricity grid becomes more and more connected tothe internet, Hydro Ottawa says it's investing heavily to protect the system fromcyber attacks.

"It's huge," said Hydro Ottawa CEO Bryce Conrad of cybersecurity."It keeps us up at night."

Conrad described howsomeone sitting in a bedroom at a computer on the other side of the worldcantry to hack intoa utility's informationsystems and do damagingthings like take down a grid.

"There are lots of examples out there where thishas come true."

• Cyberattacks on infrastructure a 'major threat,' says CSIS chief
• Cyberattack that crippled Ukrainian power grid was highly coordinated
• Ralph Goodale says Ukraine cyberattack caused 'international anxiety'

AndConrad says he doesn't pretend it can't happen in Ottawa.

"We're a G7 capital, so we're not just Hydro Ottawa, we're the provider of electricity to a G7 capital. If you don't have electricity in the morning, you're not doing a whole lot," he added.

Connecting customers while preventing attacks

Cybersecurity is detailed as a riskfacing the utilityin thefive-year strategydocumentthat Hydro Ottawa tabled earlier this week at an Ottawa city council meeting.

• City of Ottawa to get minimum $20M a year from Hydro Ottawa

Thestrategy describes an industry in the midst of transformationin whichelectricity systemsareconverging with, and are increasingly dependent on, information technology.

What you're trying to do is open (the system)up for (customers)and keep the back door closed to someone who wants to do something nefarious.- BryceConrad, CEO of Hydro Ottawa

Hydro Ottawa anticipates big changes in the coming years from increased sales ofelectric cars to innovations that come from morecustomers beingdigitally connected to asmartgrid, a system of resources to better manage consumption.

But having people, their homes, their appliances, and their vehicles connected to the internetall the time poses a securitychallenge for an electric utility like Hydro Ottawa.

"As we become more customer-centric, and give customers more tools to sort of manage these things, you're effectivelyopening up your system for your customers," said Conrad.

"What you're trying to do is open it up for them and keep the back door closed to someone who wants to do something nefarious."

Heavy investment in command and control centre

That's why Hydro Ottawaconsiderscybersecurityevery time it buys a piece of softwareortechnology, according toConrad.

"We have to invest heavily in cybersecurity and makingsure our systems, particularly our command and control systems, are as robust and protected as they possibly can be," he said.

The electricity industry gets together regularly to discuss best practices forprotecting utilities from the threat of hacks emanating fromterrorists,organized crime groups, or other foreign entities.

"I'll never say we're 100 per cent protected, but we're in pretty good shape."