Energy Department to analyze power grid cyber threats
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has unveiled an initiative that seeks to further protect the power grid from cyber attacks.
The Electric Sector Cybersecurity Risk Management Maturity project, a federal program to find and contain gaps in the cyber security defenses protecting the nation's electric grid, will be headed by the Department of Energy (DOE), with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the private sector. The program originated from a proposal from the White House.
“Establishing a comprehensive cyber security approach will give utility companies and grid operators another important tool to improve the grid's ability to respond to cybersecurity risks,” Chu said in news release last week. Patrick Miller, president and CEO of the National Electric Sector Cybersecurity Organization, a nonprofit that supports organizations operating within the energy sector, said the DOE is the right choice to assess how the grid will behave, should there be an attack.
