What should the review of BES Cyber Asset identification include in terms of categorization?

The inclusion of all assets that may impact grid reliability in the review of Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber Asset identification is crucial for a comprehensive assessment of cybersecurity risks. This approach ensures that no potentially critical component is overlooked, regardless of its current status or perceived risk level.

By focusing on all assets with a potential impact on grid reliability, the review process enables utility operators to take a more holistic view of their infrastructure. It allows for the identification of both direct and indirect influences on the grid, establishing a more effective defense against cyber threats. This is in line with the NERC CIP requirements, which emphasize the need to protect assets that are critical to the reliability of the grid, thereby mitigating risks associated with system vulnerabilities and potential compromises.

In contrast, concentrating solely on high-risk assets or assets that have been compromised would provide a narrow focus, potentially neglecting other crucial components that could also pose a significant threat to grid reliability. Additionally, isolating the review to only generation resources would ignore the interconnectedness of various assets across the entire system, thereby failing to account for the broader network impact.