New strategies and methods for assessing the security of protection systems to reduce the risk of unnecessary disturbances and blackouts are the main topic of the present paper. The system behavior of a protection system and network is analyzed and assessed as a whole. Hence, the established algorithms are capable to handle complex network structures with regard to an intelligent data management as well as data validation. Protection security assessment comprised two different aspects: on the one hand the behavior regarding dependability and security in terms of speed and sensitivity, on the other hand the behavior regarding the response on dynamic network phenomena as voltage stability and transient stability. A new automated method for assessing the dependability and security of protection systems is shown. The short-circuit simulation tool is used to provide a simulation system including network and protection devices as a whole. The handling of the large amount of resulting data is done by an intelligent visualization method like a “fingerprint” analysis. Further on the paper is focused on the protection response on dynamic network phenomena and presents innovative strategies for this investigation aspect. The structure of simulation environment will be described. Results of a case study show the application of this method on a real network. The system tool which is concluding these two aspects of protection assessment is called SIGUARD? PSA.