Bottom line: The FERC's approval ensures that critical transmission facilities must implement enhanced physical security measures and conduct more frequent risk assessments to mitigate potential threats.
What's happening: NERC CIP-014-4, proposed in 2020, focuses on standardizing physical security protocols and risk assessments for critical transmission facilities in the United States. The approved standard will apply to approximately 3,000 transmission facilities nationwide. The FERC approved the standard on October 19, 2022, after a 90-day comment period.
What to do: Security leaders must review existing physical security measures and risk assessment processes to ensure compliance with the new standard. They should also establish a plan to implement the required changes within 6 months, with a detailed report submitted to the NERC by March 19, 2024.