Lege Trend: Power Grid. Utilities. #1 Target for Infrastructure Cyber Threat

Congress is working to secure the nation’s power grid because the power grid is facing a major cyberattack because:

• the power ” industry’s digital defenses are dangerously lagging and underfunded
• energy companies are “scrambling to play catch-up”
• energy companies  are ” leaving the all-important power grid exposed to hackers”
• “the industry isn’t fully prepared to stymie sophisticated hackers.”
• “In 2014, the energy sector was the most targeted of the nation’s critical infrastructure industry sectors,”

5 Solutions bandied about in D.C.:

• New presidential team to coordinate cyber threat assessment & response efforts 
• More funding for cybersecurity in energy and utilities
• More funding for the Energy Department program, Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems, to research & develop tools to protect the grid
• Create “The Terrorism Prevention and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act” to direct DHS to work with critical infrastructure companies, like power grid operators and utilities to boost their cyber defenses

The Hill | Congress struggles to secure nation’s power grid