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NOTICE DATE:  November 18, 2017
NOTICE TYPE:  W-A041817 Operations
SHORT DESCRIPTION:  Biennial NERC-sponsored Security Training – Grid Ex IV
INTENDED AUDIENCE:  ERCOT Market Participants
DAYS AFFECTED:  June 16, 2017 and November 15 – 16, 2017
LONG DESCRIPTION:  The fourth biennial NERC-sponsored security training, Grid Ex IV, will be conducted November 15 and 16, 2017. Grid Ex is an unclassified public/private exercise designed to simulate a coordinated cyber/physical attack with operational impacts on electric and other critical infrastructures across North America to improve security, resiliency and reliability. This is a great way to not only train on Cyber and Physical Security events, but will also allow you to test business continuity plans and may demonstrate compliance with NERC reliability standards of:

·         EOP-008 Loss of Control Center Functionality

·         CIP-008 Incident Reporting and Response Planning

·         CIP-009 Recovery Plans for Critical Cyber Assets

This year’s Grid Ex IV drill will incorporate some of the same events used in the Winter Storm Drill, albeit with a physical/cyber security twist. Also similar to the Winter Storm Drill, Grid Ex IV will utilize the ERCOT simulator. Each Market Participant will be issued a single user login and password to access the Macomber Map through Citrix utilizing your company’s digital certificate.
Note: There is no reporting to NERC on compliance matters as part of participation in the Grid Ex training exercise.

ACTION REQUIRED:  To register your organization:

  1.  Send the name and email address of your organization’s lead planner to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>. Once vetted, the lead planner will receive credentials for the Grid Ex IV Portal.
  2.  Send the name and contact information for your organization’s lead planner to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> with the subject ‘Grid Ex participation for <your company name>’ by Friday, June 16, 2017.

CONTACT:  If you have any questions, please contact Erik Johnson. You may call ERIK at (512) 248-4619 or email him at [log in to unmask]
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