Cybersecurity, as it relates to hardware for the electric grid and to novel smart grid technologies, is an important component of the innovation cycle. We will explore intellectual property strategies that may promote entrepreneurial activities and spur innovations that reduce the electric grid's current vulnerabilities. We will identify areas in which stakeholders such as U.S. policy makers, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the business community, and the academic community, can collaborate to foster growth and innovation.