NEPRA Holds Workshop On "Implementation Roadmap For IT/OT Cyber-security Regulations"

Sumaira FH Published May 16, 2023 | 08:31 PM

National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Tuesday hosted a workshop on "Implementation Roadmap for NEPRA IT/OT Regulations 2022" aimed at creating awareness amongst the electric power licensees for implementation of the same

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th May, 2023 ) :National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Tuesday hosted a workshop on "Implementation Roadmap for NEPRA IT/OT Regulations 2022" aimed at creating awareness amongst the electric power licensees for implementation of the same.

The webinar was chaired by Chairman NEPRA, Tauseef H. Farooqi and attended by a large number of Power Sector's Professionals and as well as cybersecurity experts, said a press release.

Farooqi in his opening remarks highlighted the importance of the workshop viz-a-viz potential cyberattacks.

He elaborated that almost 10.7% of cyberattacks in the year 2022 were specifically directed at the energy industry.

Farooqi also termed the recent ransomware attacks on prominent electric service providers as eye-opening incidents. He pointed out that the approved NEPRA IT/OT Cybersecurity Regulations provide legal requirements for licensees to adopt a proactive approach to cybersecurity.

He further said that these regulations serve as a binding framework to which the power sector licensees must comply in order to enhance the security of their IT and OT systems.

By adhering to these regulations, license holders can strengthen their defenses against cyber threats and contribute to the overall resilience of the electric power sector.

The cybersecurity experts, Ammar Almashikhi of M/s Siemens Ltd, UAE and Mubarak Mustafa of M/s ACET Solutions gave a detailed overview of cybersecurity roadmap strategies, mid-term, and long-term implementation milestones.

They also sanitized the participants that OT Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and every stakeholder has to work on their part to achieve the Zero Trust Architecture.