NERC CIP Compliance: 5 Must-Have Security Features

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards provide an essential framework for protecting the US Bulk Electric System (BES) against cyberattacks and physical vulnerabilities.

Achieving and maintaining compliance can feel overwhelming, especially when multiple systems and regulations are in play. That’s where the right security and surveillance solution can make all the difference. Unifying your security and operations into a single platform not only helps you meet NERC CIP requirements but also streamlines your operations, improves situational awareness, and reduces risks.

Even better, when AI-driven surveillance and automation capabilities are added, you can detect threats faster, respond more consistently, and maintain visibility across your critical assets—all while staying compliant.

So, what should you look for in a security and surveillance solution to support NERC CIP compliance? Here are five recommendations every operator should consider.

1. Device visibility and authentication

Ensure your solution automatically verifies all connected devices' IP addresses and offers an asset register that simplifies system health checks, maintenance, and software updates.

Ideally, it should provide an up-to-date and accurate record of system configuration, licensing, and version information about hardware and software components, including cameras. This allows managers, engineers, and authorised support teams to quickly access everything they need to ensure everything is working as it should be.

2. Always-on encryption

Robust data encryption is vital. AES-256 encryption is a must for data at rest. This should be paired with HTTPS and TLS (version 1.2 or higher) for secure data transmission between connected devices.

One area of encryption often overlooked is system configuration. Encrypting data at rest and in transit is all very well, but that information is still vulnerable if someone knows how your system is configured. Look for a solution that provides system configuration encryption by default and prompts you to address any vulnerabilities.

3. Strong access controls

Controlling physical access to areas housing cyber assets is critical to BES stability. Ensure your unified solution seamlessly integrates access control (whether using ID cards or more sophisticated biometrics). It should also allow you to tightly control who can access data and specific security and surveillance control features, including downloading or sharing data, based on their role.

Look for password protection enforcement that leverages LDAP authentication, where usernames and passwords are matched and verified against a central directory and employs multi-factor authentication measures. Your solution should also have built-in audit trail functionality so you can see every action taken by any individual.

4. Simplified enforcement of policies and protocols

Choose systems that automate policy enforcement as much as possible. It’s worth connecting system health and access monitoring to workflows that guide operators through appropriate response protocols. Workflows are also important for responding to any physical security events detected on site, from perimeter breaches to tailgating attempts for access-controlled areas.  

5. A reliable back-up plan

Efficient recovery of data and systems critical to the BES is fundamental to CIP compliance. There are many ways to build redundancy and resilience into your solution. Still, an essential measure is to ensure your video and data are replicated onto a backup server should the primary server fail.

This should be set up so that devices connected to your security and operations management platform divert to the backup. Even if your primary server fails, you will still have a fully functioning solution.