The North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) has named Marcus Sachs as its new chief security officer. 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is starting a new research effort to help CISOs better manage cybersecurity within critical infrastructure companies. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Schneider Electric SE are early members of the consortium, according to MIT.

Tokyo tops the rankings for overall safest city this year, according to The Economist’s report: The Safe Cities Index 2015: Assessing Urban Security in the Digital Age. By ranking 50 cities under four main categories: digital security, health security, infrastructure safety and personal safety, the report found that the world’s most populous city is also the safest in the Index, especially with preparations underway for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

 Baker Hughes provides technology- and service-based solutions that enable oil and gas companies to bring safe, affordable energy to the world. With a market capital of $22.7 billion, the company operates in more than 80 countries and employs approximately 61,000 employees.   

Traditional network security risk management techniques are often inadequate to meet the specialized needs of enterprises' control systems. The good news is that a host of free resources exists to cover this important field of security, risk management, compliance and operational continuity. 

As critical infrastructure in the United States becomes more dependent on networked systems, such as the smart grid, the electricity industry is at risk for new avenues of attack. 

According to Security Implications of the Smart Grid, a report from Marie Wright, PhD, of Western Connecticut State University, and Robert Billings, Jr., B.A., of Billings Electric, the shift to a smart grid infrastructure means that power companies will be using more IP-based communications and commercial, off-the-shelf technologies.

More than a year after a major sniper attack at an electrical substation near San Jose, a new security breach has been reported. 

 Verizon said it is prepared to pay up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for recent thefts of copper telephone cables in Pennsylvania.