America’s Vulnerable Energy Infrastructure Is A Threat To National Security

With news reports of attacks on U.S. power grids rising to an all-time high last year, cyber security and energy infrastructure robustness are being called into question. As well as strengthening energy infrastructure in line with green transition developments and the increased connectivity of renewable energy operations, the U.S. must consider improving its cybersecurity to ensure it is resilient to being hacked, as threats against the grid continue to rise.  A Government Accountability Office (GAO) review conducted in 2019 revealed some of the main challenges to grid security. These included the need to hire a skilled workforce to manage cybersecurity, limiting the sharing of classified information between the public and private sectors, resource limitations, reliance on other critical infrastructure that requires cybersecurity strengthening, and uncertainty about how to best implement cybersecurity standards. Further, the report suggested that although the Department of Energy (DoE) had developed plans “to implement the national cybersecurity strategy for the grid”, these plans “do not fully address risks to the grid’s distribution systems.” For example, the supply chain-related vulnerabilities of distribution are largely overlooked as the DoE focuses on resolving threats to the grid’s production and transmission systems. Related: Energy, Metals Investments To Boom In 2023

Greater digitalisation in recent years has put the grid at higher risk of attack by criminals, terrorists, hacktivists, and foreign governments. The electric grid relies on industrial control systems, which manage electrical processes and physical functions like opening and closing circuit breakers. Since many systems are now using technologies that connect to the internet – to improve remote monitoring, thereby reducing cost and boosting efficiency – this makes them more vulnerable to hacking. 

The GAO believes the DoE can enhance cybersecurity by focusing on three key tasks: the adoption of a cybersecurity framework, the establishment of risk management programmes, and the implementation of the Federal cybersecurity strategy for the electric grid, which includes the…