Cybersecurity Framework For Ontario's Electricity Industry

On March 15, 2018, the Ontario Energy Board ("OEB") issued a Notice of Amendments to the Ontario Transmission System Code and Distribution System Code to require licensed electricity transmitters and distributors in Ontario to use an industry-developed Ontario Cyber Security Framework to provide the OEB with information about their cybersecurity and privacy maturity. The Framework's integration of cybersecurity and privacy controls may be useful to organizations in other industries.

Cybersecurity and the Framework

The code amendments define "cyber security" as "a body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs, data and personal information from attack, damage or unauthorized access", and reference both electronic and physical security. The code amendments require each licensed electricity transmitter or distributor to use the Ontario Cyber Security Framework to report on their cyber security readiness.