NERC CIP stands for North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). It is a set of mandatory and enforceable standards that aim to secure the North American bulk electric system against cyber threats.

The NERC CIP standards cover a range of security areas, including personnel and training, electronic security perimeters, physical security of critical cyber assets, system security management, and incident reporting and response planning. The purpose of NERC CIP is to protect critical infrastructure and prevent major power outages and other disruptions caused by cyber attacks. Organizations that operate critical infrastructure in North America must comply with NERC CIP standards in order to maintain the reliability and security of the electric system.

BNS (BitNetSentry) helps organizations comply with NERC CIP (North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection standards) by providing a comprehensive and secure solution for protecting the critical cyber assets within the bulk electric system. By operating at a low level of the network stack and providing passwordless encryption, BNS helps to protect against cyber attacks, unauthorized access, and data breaches, while also improving the usability and convenience of the security solution. Additionally, BNS may provide features such as device authentication, data protection, secure communications, and reporting and auditing capabilities, which can support the security objectives outlined in NERC CIP standards. These features helps organizations to secure critical cyber assets, demonstrate compliance with NERC CIP, and provide a secure and reliable bulk electric system.

However, it’s important to note that compliance with NERC CIP requires a comprehensive and multi-layered approach to security that includes not only technology solutions but also policies, procedures, and staff training. Implementing BNS as part of an overall security strategy helps organizations comply with NERC CIP, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Organizations must also implement other security measures and best practices to ensure that they fully comply with NERC CIP standards and protect their critical cyber assets.