NERC CIP compliance consulting for grid assets you can defend, and evidence you can hand over.

What it is

What is NERC CIP and what is it used for?

NERC CIP is the Critical Infrastructure Protection family of reliability standards from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. FERC designated NERC as the electric reliability organisation for North America in 2006; compliance with its reliability standards has been a legal obligation since June 2007.

The CIP family protects the cyber systems, control centres and critical substations on which the grid depends. It rates BES Cyber Systems high, medium or low impact, then scales the controls to that rating. It is a legal duty, not a badge: each requirement is either met and evidenced, or a possible violation.

Current versions. Each CIP standard carries its own version number, and several are changing. NERC's June 2026 compliance bulletin lists CIP-012-2 effective 1 July 2026, revised versions of CIP-002 to CIP-011 and CIP-013 effective 1 July 2028, CIP-015-1 effective 1 October 2028 and CIP-003-11 effective 1 July 2029. Confirm applicable versions with NERC before you plan.

Who it is for

Who needs NERC CIP compliance?

CIP applies to entities registered with NERC for functions on the bulk electric system: balancing authorities, reliability coordinators, transmission owners and operators, generator owners and operators, and certain distribution providers. Enquiries tend to begin in one of four ways:

• A new plant or line brings registration. New registered functions bring CIP duties from day one.
• A utility customer or offtaker writes CIP into the contract. Service providers inherit obligations through agreements with the registered entity.
• An audit notice or a possible violation arrives. The Regional Entity's schedule sets a hard date for evidence.
• A group company already runs a CIP programme. Acquired assets must join the parent's programme.

Requirements

What are the main NERC CIP requirements?

Each CIP standard covers one area, with numbered requirements and a table of applicable systems by impact rating. The list below gives the standards at title level, using the titles NERC publishes; your obligations come from the version in force.

• CIP-002, BES Cyber System Categorization: identify BES Cyber Systems and rate them high, medium or low impact.
• CIP-003, Security Management Controls: policies, a responsible senior manager and the plans required for low impact assets.
• CIP-004, Personnel & Training: awareness, training, risk assessment and access management for people.
• CIP-005, Electronic Security Perimeter(s): network boundaries and control of remote access.
• CIP-006, Physical Security of BES Cyber Systems: physical security plans and visitor control.
• CIP-007, System Security Management: ports and services, patching, malicious code, logging and account controls.
• CIP-008, Incident Reporting and Response Planning: response plans, testing and reporting of cyber security incidents.
• CIP-009, Recovery Plans for BES Cyber Systems: recovery plans, backups and exercises.
• CIP-010, Configuration Change Management and Vulnerability Assessments: baselines, change control and assessments.
• CIP-011, Information Protection: protecting BES Cyber System Information and the reuse or disposal of assets.
• CIP-012, Communications between Control Centers: protecting real-time data sent between control centres.
• CIP-013, Supply Chain Risk Management: supply chain risk in the procurement of systems and services.
• CIP-014, Physical Security: identifying and protecting critical transmission stations and substations.
• CIP-015, Internal Network Security Monitoring: monitoring inside the network perimeter, on the dates NERC sets.

Compliance process

How do you achieve NERC CIP compliance?

CIP has no certification step. Compliance is monitored by the Compliance Enforcement Authority, meaning NERC and the Regional Entities, through compliance audits, self-certifications, spot checks, investigations, self-reports, periodic data submittals and complaints.

1. 01
   Confirm registration and categorise.Confirm your registered functions and rate each BES Cyber System under CIP-002.
2. 02
   Gap analysis: compare current practice with each applicable requirement.We test each requirement against your assets and records, then agree actions, owners and dates.
3. 03
   Build the programme and the evidence routines.Plans and controls go in, and each recurring task gets an owner, a date and a record.
4. 04
   Review compliance internally and mitigate.An internal review samples evidence as an auditor would; possible violations are self-reported and mitigated.
5. 05
   Face the Regional Entity's monitoring and keep going.Answer audit and spot-check requests, close findings and keep recurring tasks on schedule.

Check the route before you sign. Your Regional Entity is decided by where your assets sit, and only the Regional Entity and NERC decide compliance; confirm your registration and upcoming monitoring with them directly. The certification buyer's checklist

Cost

How much does NERC CIP compliance cost?

There is no certification fee. The costs are the programme, its technology and the people who run the recurring tasks.

Timeline

How long does NERC CIP compliance take?

The fixed points are external: the date a new asset or function becomes subject to CIP, the effective date of each new version and the Regional Entity's monitoring schedule. Between them, pace depends on impact ratings and existing tooling. As an estimate, a first programme takes 9 to 18 months.

Your engagement

What your NERC CIP engagement includes

Sterling OS™ runs every engagement, and each phase has a CIP meaning. Sterling does not certify or determine compliance: NERC and your Regional Entity monitor your programme and decide on any violation.

• Design™: guided support

  Your engineers and compliance staff write the programme; a Sterling consultant sets the method, reviews each plan and record template, and coaches the owners.

• Drive™: managed support

  The alternative to Design™ when your team is stretched: Sterling drafts the plans, procedures and evidence calendar with your owners and runs the programme to its first internal review.

• Sustain™: after the programme is live

  Periodic internal compliance reviews, checks on recurring tasks, version-change impact reviews and preparation for audits and spot checks.

• Automate™: Effivity

  Your compliance calendar, records and actions run in Effivity, included with the engagement at no additional cost.

• Training for your people

  Internal auditor training, as applicable to your standard, and preferential Sterling Academy access, including complimentary awareness training for your people as part of the engagement.

Compliance decisions remain with NERC and the Regional Entities.

Often combined with

Standards organisations pair with NERC CIP

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• CIS ControlsCIS Controls implementation and requirements: the 18 Controls and 153 Safeguards of v8.1, Implementation Groups, assessment with no certificate, cost and time.
• CMMC 2.0CMMC 2.0 certification consulting for defence contractors handling FCI and CUI: controls, SPRS score and evidence ready for self or C3PAO assessment.