A new document intended to help pipeline operators, power producers, manufacturers and other managers of critical infrastructures to secure their systems while addressing their unique performance, reliability and safety requirements has been issued by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The document provides an overview of industrial control system (ICS) and typical system topologies, identifies typical threats and vulnerabilities to these systems and provides recommended security countermeasures to mitigate the associated risks. Because there are many different types of ICS with varying levels of potential risk and impact, the document provides a list of many different methods and techniques for securing ICS.

This new guide is recommended to be used along with the NIST Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security (NISTIR 7628), which was issued last September, to tackle security issues arising from the convergence of the electric power Smart Grid and ICS.