RP7 Stakeholder Consultation WEB - Flipbook - Page 50
IT infrastructure
development
In response to the current rate of
change that is being seen across our
business and operating environment,
NIE Networks must continue to invest
our time and resources in initiatives that
support our journey towards a digitally
enabled, secure and sustainable future.
Digitalisation and data services are
widely seen as key enablers of net zero
ambitions and provide the foundation
for us to provide an enhanced and
improved service to our customers.
Whilst our IT infrastructure has served
us well to date, the ever-increasing
rate of change in technology, including
expected increases in Distributed
Energy Resources (DERs) and the
electrification of heat and transport,
means that the load on our network
is going to increase significantly. A
smarter, more secure and more digital
IT infrastructure is required to support
a more dynamic and active network
that will transform throughout RP7 and
beyond. Additionally, in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic, customer and
employee expectations have changed
at an accelerated rate with respect
to digitally enabled communication
channels, self-serve functionality and
working from home flexibility.
NIE Networks has developed Digital,
Data and IT strategies, to support the
organisation’s ability to meet the new
challenges and opportunities created
by the Energy Strategy, net zero targets
and DSO transition requirements.
Underpinning these strategies is the
need to focus upon continuous cyber
improvement to ensure that data and
customer services are adequately
monitored and protected from cyberattack and potential data loss. Our IT
and digitalisation initiatives seek to meet
these demands by providing a more
secure and sustainable infrastructure,
while improving the overall experience
for both our customers and our
workforce.
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Northern Ireland Electricty Networks
Cyber attacks are an emerging global
threat to public and private businesses
across all sectors and a number of
utility organisations have been subject
to significant incidents in recent years,
including a successful cyber attack
on an Iranian nuclear facility in 2021
and an attack on the power grid of
Ukraine in 2015 which resulted in
power outages for roughly 230,000
customers for up to 6 hours. In early
2021, the Health Service Executive
of Ireland also suffered a major
ransomware cyber attack, significantly
affecting critical processes and
services.
NIE Networks is continually looking at
measures to strengthen our security
as cyber security threats continue
to evolve. Over the next decade,
operational technology and electricity
distribution network assets that were
previously offline and only exposed to
physical security risks will increasingly
be connected to the internet and
each other. This has introduced cyber
security risks to previously unaffected
assets.
To meet the increasing threat, updated
Network & Information Systems (NIS)
Regulations will be introduced, aimed
at raising levels of cyber security
and resilience of key systems across
the EU. As an organisation which
is responsible for Critical National
Infrastructure and in line with our NIS
obligations, NIE Networks will be
investing in infrastructure and services
throughout the RP7 period which are
designed to improve security resilience
and reduce the risk of significant
disruption to the business and our
customers and stakeholders.
