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What CIP covers—and what it does not
CIP is the cybersecurity part of NERC’s reliability-standard framework for the North American BES. It addresses relevant BES Cyber Systems through requirements covering identification and categorization, security management, personnel and training, electronic boundaries, physical security, system security, incident reporting and response, recovery, configuration and vulnerability assessment, information protection, communications, supply-chain risk, and internal network security monitoring.
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That breadth is why CIP is relevant to resilience: it spans preparation, protection, response, and recovery rather than focusing on one defensive technology. It should not be read as a guarantee that incidents will be prevented, or as a single control set that applies identically to every organization and system. Applicability and required evidence depend on the applicable standard, version, jurisdiction, and system categorization.
How the standards contribute to resilience
Identify and categorize systems
Start with the standards and applicability criteria that determine which BES Cyber Systems are in scope and how they are categorized. That decision shapes which requirements and evidence matter later. Do not assume that a control or version applies to an asset without checking the relevant standard and implementation plan.
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Establish preventive and protective controls
The standards address security management, personnel, electronic and physical boundaries, system security, information protection, communications, and internal network monitoring. Together, these areas provide a structured basis for reducing exposure and managing access to applicable systems. The specific requirements are version-dependent.
Prepare to respond and recover
Incident reporting and response planning, alongside recovery requirements, connect cybersecurity preparation to operational resilience. A resilience program needs to account for what the applicable requirements demand before, during, and after an incident; the exact obligations are set by the relevant versions and jurisdiction.
Manage change and external risk
Configuration and vulnerability assessment address security as systems change. Supply-chain requirements extend risk management to relevant external products and services. These are parts of the same resilience program, not substitutes for system categorization, protective controls, or response and recovery planning.
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Which CIP versions are enforceable?
NERC’s CIP index, as accessed October 7, 2026, distinguishes standards labeled “Mandatory Subject to Enforcement” from versions labeled “Subject to Future Enforcement.” These labels are a dated snapshot, not a universal effective-date determination. Before making a compliance decision, confirm the current NERC listing, the relevant jurisdiction, and the applicable implementation plan.
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Versions NERC listed as mandatory and subject to enforcement
- CIP-002-5.1a
- CIP-003-9
- CIP-004-7
- CIP-005-7
- CIP-006-6
- CIP-007-6
- CIP-008-6
- CIP-009-6
- CIP-010-4
- CIP-011-3
- CIP-012-2
- CIP-013-2
- CIP-014-3
Versions NERC listed as subject to future enforcement
- CIP-002-7 and CIP-002-8
- CIP-003-10 and CIP-003-11
- CIP-004-8
- CIP-005-8
- CIP-006-7.1
- CIP-007-7.1
- CIP-008-7.1
- CIP-009-7.1
- CIP-010-5
- CIP-011-4.1
- CIP-013-3
- CIP-014-4
- CIP-015-1 and CIP-015-2
Do not treat a newer version’s appearance on the index as proof that it is already enforceable. Likewise, a standard’s approval does not by itself establish the date on which an entity must comply.
What the 2026 FERC approvals mean
NERC’s 2026 FERC orders index records that FERC approved CIP-003-11 on March 19, 2026, and CIP-002-8 on March 26, 2026. It also records FERC Order No. 919, dated March 19, 2026, approving eleven virtualization-related CIP standards and associated definitions.
For Order No. 919, NERC’s index says FERC directed NERC to develop criteria for entities invoking a “per system capability” exception, mandatory reporting requirements for those entities, and an annual report to FERC. These approval and direction details are regulatory developments; they do not replace checking the NERC implementation plan and jurisdictional effective dates to determine when a requirement applies.
How supply-chain risk fits into CIP
Supply-chain cyber risk is part of the CIP resilience picture. NERC says its Board adopted CIP-005-6, CIP-010-3, and CIP-013-1 on August 10, 2017, as standards addressing cybersecurity supply-chain risks. That date and those versions are historical context—not a statement of today’s applicable versions.
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NERC’s Supply Chain Risk Mitigation Program brings together stakeholder documents and endorsed implementation guidance, including guidance for supply-chain risk management plans. For current obligations, use the applicable version in NERC’s current standards index and check its implementation plan and jurisdictional status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical way to organize CIP implementation
Use the standards and supporting materials for the applicable jurisdiction as the basis for a version-aware work plan. NERC’s standards hub connects standards with implementation plans, audit worksheets, FERC orders, compliance guidance, and jurisdictional status resources.
- Confirm applicability. Identify the relevant systems and categorization, then establish which CIP standards and versions apply to them.
- Verify status and timing. Check NERC’s current status listing, the relevant jurisdiction, and the implementation-plan milestones. Keep approval, future enforcement, and current enforceability distinct.
- Map requirements to evidence. Use the applicable standard and audit worksheets to determine what evidence is relevant. Do not rely on an older worksheet or version without verifying that it matches the requirement being assessed.
- Coordinate the program areas. Connect categorization and security management with personnel, technical and physical controls, incident response, recovery, information protection, communications, configuration, monitoring, and supply-chain risk management.
- Recheck when standards change. Revisit version, jurisdictional status, and implementation-plan milestones when NERC updates its index or a new approval affects the requirements under consideration.
What CIP-007-6 says about system security
The purpose section of NERC Reliability Standard CIP-007-6 states: “To manage system security by specifying select technical, operational, and procedural requirements in support of protecting Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber Systems against compromise that could lead to misoperation or instability in the BES.” This wording captures the standard’s stated purpose; it is not a quantified claim about how much risk the standard reduces.
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What the standards do not establish about outcomes
NERC’s official materials cited here do not provide a named statistic for CIP’s effectiveness, incidents prevented, or resilience improvement. The standards and their dates establish regulatory requirements and status, not a numerical measure of security outcomes. Avoid using an effectiveness percentage unless it is supported by a separate, clearly defined source and methodology.
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