HC 1552 Developing Threats to Electronic Infrastructure

Written evidence from officers of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Subcommittee 77C

The authors of this letter are officers of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Subcommittee 77C and have been leading the effort within the IEC to develop standards and other publications to protect the civil infrastructures of the world against man-made attacks from different types of "EMP". This work began in 1989 and has focused on two particular "EMP" threats: the high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) produced by nuclear detonations in space and Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI) produced by electromagnetic weapons used by criminals or terrorists. In addition a few of the IEC publications deal with low-frequency HEMP environments that are very similar to the environments created by space weather or more particularly geomagnetic storms, which are natural, but severe threats to the power infrastructure.

The title and scope of IEC SC 77C are:

High Power Transient Phenomena

"Standardisation in the field of EMC to protect civilian equipment, systems and installations from threats by man-made high power transient phenomena including the EM fields produced by nuclear detonations at high altitude. Note - high power conditions are achieved when the peak incident EM field exceeds 100 V/m."

This committee produces international civil standards and technical reports on protection and test methodologies against high power transients. They are available for use by any country wishing to protect its civil systems against such transients. At the present time the IEC SC 77C is supported by 18 ‘P’ or participating (voting) member countries (including China, Germany, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, UK, USA) and 16 ‘O’ or observing member countries. As with all IEC standards, they are voluntary until they are adopted by national or regional standards organizations or when they are referenced in contractual documents.

The publication set encompasses 20 documents, which is in fact the most complete set of high power electromagnetic standards available for defining the threats and designing protection measures and test methods to ensure that the protection elements perform according to their specifications. The most recent of these publications deal mainly with IEMI aspects, and these were published over the past five years. Many of the older publications deal specifically with HEMP, and some deal generally with the protection methods available for high-level EM fields at frequencies above 10 MHz, which covers both HEMP and IEMI.

It is important to note that the publications of IEC SC 77C are basic standards that need to be applied to specific products and industries. In recent years the publications of IEC SC 77C have been adapted to the needs of the telecommunications industry by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T Recommendations K.78, and K.81) and to the needs of the international power industry in Cigré (WG C4.206 where work is underway).

In order to aid the Defence Committee, we have attached in an annex, the complete list of publications prepared by IEC SC 77C.

26 September 2011

Annex

 

Publications Dealing with the Protection of Civil Equipment and Systems

 

from the Effects of HEMP and HPEM (IEMI) – Issued by the

 

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) SC 77C

 

IEC/TR 61000-1-3 Ed. 1.0 (2002-06): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 1-3: General - The effects of high-altitude EMP (HEMP) on civil equipment and systems. Basic EMC publication

IEC/TR 61000-1-5 Ed. 1.0 (2004-11): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 1-5 : High power electromagnetic (HPEM) effects on civil systems. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-2-9 Ed. 1.0 (1996-02): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 2: Environment – Section 9: Description of HEMP environment – Radiated disturbance. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-2-10 Ed. 1.0 (1998-11): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 2-10 :Description of HEMP environment – Conducted disturbance. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-2-11 Ed. 1.0 (1999-10): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 2-11: Environment - Classification of HEMP environments. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-2-13 Ed. 1.0 (2005-03): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 2-13 : High-power electromagnetic (HPEM) environments – Radiated and conducted. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-4-23 Ed. 1.0 (2000-10): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-23: Testing and measurement techniques – Test methods for protective devices for HEMP and other radiated disturbances. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-4-24 Ed. 1.0 (1997-02): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4: Testing and measurement techniques – Section 24: Test methods for protective devices for HEMP conducted disturbance. Basic EMC Publication

IEC 61000-4-25 Ed. 1.0 (2001-11): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-25: Testing and measurement techniques – HEMP immunity test methods for equipment and systems. Basic EMC publication

IEC/TR 61000-4-32 Ed. 1.0 (2002-10): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-32: Testing and measurement techniques – HEMP simulator compendium. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-4-33 Ed. 1.0 (2005-09): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-33: Testing and measurement techniques – Measurement methods for high power transient parameters. Basic EMC publication

IEC/TR 61000-4-35 Ed. 1.0 (2009-07): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 4-35: Testing and measurement techniques – High power electromagnetic (HPEM) simulator compendium. Basic EMC publication

IEC/TR 61000-5-3 Ed. 1.0 (1999-07): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5-3: Installation and mitigation guidelines – HEMP protection concepts. Basic EMC publication

IEC/TS 61000-5-4 Ed. 1.0 (1996-08): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5: Installation and mitigation guidelines – Section 4: Immunity to HEMP – Specification for protective devices against HEMP radiated disturbance. Basic EMC Publication

IEC 61000-5-5 Ed. 1.0 (1996-02): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5: Installation and mitigation guidelines – Section 5: Specification of protective devices for HEMP conducted disturbance. Basic EMC Publication

IEC/TR 61000-5-6 Ed. 1.0 (2002-06): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5-6: Installation and mitigation guidelines – Mitigation of external EM influences. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-5-7 Ed. 1.0 (2001-01): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5-7: Installation and mitigation guidelines – Degrees of protection by enclosures against electromagnetic disturbances (EM code). Basic EMC publication

IEC/TS 61000-5-8 Ed. 1.0 (2009-08): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5-8: Installation and mitigation guidelines – HEMP protection methods for the distributed infrastructure. Basic EMC publication

IEC/TS 61000-5-9 Ed. 1.0 (2009-07): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 5-9: Installation and mitigation guidelines – System-level susceptibility assessments for HEMP and HPEM. Basic EMC publication

IEC 61000-6-6 Ed. 1.0 (2003-04): Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 6-6: Generic standards – HEMP immunity for indoor equipment. Basic EMC publication