Why Cyber Security Matters at Halton Hills Hydro

Electricity Grid Security

Like most utilities, Halton Hills Hydro installs automated devices that improve reliability and help restore power more quickly after power outages. These devices provide significant benefits in making our electricity grid more resilient to storms and adverse weather, but like all network connected devices, there is always a risk of cyberattacks.

In 2015, Ukraine’s power grid was the victim of a cyberattack that left 225,000 customers without power. They were hit by a similar attack again in 2016. Could the same thing happen here? This sort of attack could happen anywhere to utilities of any size. That’s why Halton Hills Hydro is investing in cyber security measures to protect our electricity grid.

Customer Data Security

Protecting customer data is equally important to Halton Hills Hydro. Cyberattacks are increasing across all organizations regardless of size, scale or scope of business. There were numerous high profile data breaches in the news in 2018. The frequency and sophistication of these attacks continues to increase. Data breaches impact companies and their customers in terms of financial costs, customer trust, and reputation.

Any personal information can be used maliciously. In many cases, the customer data from one source doesn’t pose a serious risk, however, sophisticated hackers can combine information from more than one source to build up a profile they can use for identify theft or fraud. That’s why it’s important to know that all of your online information is secure.

What Halton Hills Hydro is doing

Halton Hills Hydro continues to strengthen plans, systems and training to keep customer data safe. Our Cyber Risk Management is designed to:

· Train staff to recognize threats and reduce the risk of data breaches.

· Maintain data backup and recovery procedures to ensure business continuity in the event of an attack.

· Block attacks, including ransomware and breached firewalls, to keep sensitive information safe.

· Prevent malware or viral infections, which can corrupt data, bring down a network, and spread to other devices.

· Restrict access to only trusted employees and business partners.

Investment in cyber security ensures we keep your data safe and protects the supply of electricity.

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