Solar grids company11/20/2023 critical infrastructure, according to the Director of National Intelligence’s 2022 Annual Threat Assessment. The GAO also notes that “nations and criminal groups pose the most significant cyber threats to U.S. This could allow threat actors to access those systems and potentially disrupt operations.” The GAO notes that the grid distribution systems-which carry electricity from transmission systems to consumers-” have grown more vulnerable, in part because their operational technology increasingly allows remote access and connections to business networks. The General Accounting Office (GAO) has explicitly stated that the U.S, Energy Grid is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The gaps for cyber -attackers have been recognized by government and industry. The trends of integration of hardware and software combined with growing networked sensors are redefining the surface attack opportunities for hackers. Energy Grid critical infrastructure components operate in a digital environment that is internet accessible. The attackers disrupted the supply of oil supplies on the US East coast and demonstrated the lack of a cybersecurity framework for both preparation and incident response. Power companies use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks to control their industrial systems and many of these SCADA networks need to be updated and hardened to meet growing cybersecurity threats.Ī successful ransomware attack in 2021 on the Colonial Pipeline provided a window into that vulnerability and the many attacks points via the cross-pollination of IT and SCADA networks. While modernization planning focuses on new energy related technologies for distribution, resilience, storage, and capability, it is also focused on cybersecurity. gettyġ) Cyber-Threats To The Grid And Critical Infrastructure Abound Components are labelled with random serial numbers, with many connections glowing in yellow color too. The central microprocessor has an integrated security lock in glowing yellow color. Integration of New Concepts and Technologies with Existing InfrastructureĭOE Announces $45 Million for Next-Generation Cyber Tools to Protect the Power Grid | Department of EnergyĪn abstract 3D render of a microprocessor on a circuit board with many electrical components.Cybersecurity through Advanced Software Solutions:.Automated Methods to Discover and Mitigate Vulnerabilities:.Authentication Mechanisms for Energy Delivery Systems:.Automated Cyberattack Prevention and Mitigation.Electrical Grid - NextgovĪnd last year, the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) announced that it will fund up to 15 research projects “that will establish or strengthen existing research partnerships with energy sector utilities, vendors, universities, national laboratories, and service providers working toward resilient energy delivery systems.” DOE listed six proposed topic areas for the projects, including: Energy Launches New Program To Overhaul the U.S. ![]() The initiative calls for the Department of Energy to invest investing over $20 billion in federal funding to expand the nation’s electrical grid and modernize its transmission capabilities through public and private partnerships. The strategy for modernization can be found in a recent White House “Building a Better Grid” Initiative plans to overhaul the country’s infrastructure in support of a nationwide transition to clean electricity by 2035. Aging infrastructure leaves the grid increasingly vulnerable to attacks.” Transmission NOI final for web_1.pdf () ![]() In fact, a 2022 Department of Energy Federal Notice of Intent calls for “modernizing, hardening, and expanding the grid will enhance the resilience of our entire electric system, and ensure that electricity is available to customers when it is needed most. Modernizing the grid has become a high priority for Congress and industry. This has been witnessed during periods of harsh weather. The aging infrastructure and increasing demand for power have made the grid susceptible to “cascading failures,” where the failure of one component leads to a series of failures. Aging grids drive $51B in annual utility distribution spending | Utility Dive In fact, 70 percent of transmission lines are at least 30 years old and approaching the end of their lifecycle, and 60 percent of the circuit breakers are more than 35 years old, compared to useful lives of 20 years. ![]() Although in recent years the grid has been augmented with automation and some emerging tech, It is still mostly dependent on legacy technologies.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |