Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Energy is working to implement a national cybersecurity strategy, and has so far focused its efforts on the nation’s transmission and generation assets, but utility distribution systems are “increasingly at risk” from intrusion and disruption, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.
- A coordinated attack on distribution systems “could cause outages in multiple areas even if it did not disrupt the bulk power system,” the report, released in March, warns.
- Utility systems are generally not subject to federal security mandates because of the size of their facilities, and the report says DOE needs to “more fully” address those risks. Risk management experts say industrial control systems (ICS) connected to distribution networks are vulnerable, but question the need for new federal rules.
Dive Insight:
The increasing use of ICS to manage the electric grid has been recognized as a threat to the transmission and generation sectors, but GAO’s report concludes federal security rules overlook increasing risks to distribution systems.
“Distribution systems are growing more vulnerable, in part…
