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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently concluded audits of cybersecurity practices of electrical grid operators. It found they mostly comply with legally required cyber measures. But that doesn’t mean the grid is free of cyber-related danger. Scott Johnson, energy regulatory lawyer and senior counsel at Akin Gump, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to provide an analysis of this exercise.
Tom Temin: Mr. Johnson, good to have you one.
Scott Johnson: Hey, Tom, thanks for inviting me. I’m really happy to be here.
Tom Temin: And this FERC report seems to be of two minds. One that yeah, you’re doing everything, you grid operators that we regulate. You’re doing everything you should in cyber, but there are lots of vulnerabilities that could really bite the grid. What should we take away from all of this?
Scott Johnson: Well, that’s true, Tom. FERC staff noted in its report that its audit reports were generally good, but that there were some potential infractions. These seem in the report more like weaknesses…
