Grid securityElectrical grid targeted by hackers

Published 31 October 2011

The co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus warns that U.S. electrical grids are becoming increasingly attractive targets for hackers in a potential cyberwar

The co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus warnsthat U.S. electrical grids are becoming increasingly attractive targets for hackers in a potential cyberwar.

In a speech at the Brookings Institute last week, Representative Jim Langevin (D- Rhode Island), said, “We are already beginning to see interest among the hacking community in the massive and often shocking vulnerabilities and lax mindset that plague our power, water, transportation and other utilities.”

Technological innovation has now made high-level attacks routine.

It used to take a sophisticated hacker to pull off a distributed denial of service attack; now all you need is an Internet connection, tools such as the Low Orbit Ion Cannon and an angry mob,” he said. “My gut tells me we will see a similar progression against our critical infrastructure.”

Langevin went on to warn that a Stuxnet-like attack could wreak havoc on the U.S. power grid.

As Stuxnet has shown the world, a serious attack through cyberspace is all too real a possibility, yet many companies have still not confronted this risk, focusing on reliability and profit over protection,” he said. “If we cannot convince policymakers and the private sector that security must be a priority, then we will suffer the consequences.”

To better secure U.S. critical infrastructure, Langevin called for stronger private-public partnerships with the government issuing standards and guidelines.

I have worked hard to bring this model of a federal lead in cybersecurity to the electric grid, but it applies across other sectors as well,” he said. “I introduced a bill earlier this year that echoed the White House model for establishing frameworks for various critical infrastructures, guided by best practices developed across industries.”