Cyber Attacks and the Electric Grid

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced an initiative to protect the country’s grid from cyber attacks. As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to enhance the reliability and security of the grid, the Electric Sector Cybersecurity Risk Management Maturity Project will utilize industry and public sector experts to create a comprehensive security strategy.

“This initiative is another important step forward in improving the security of the Nation’s energy infrastructure and ensuring that the country’s electrical systems remain secure, reliable and resilient,” says Secretary Chu. “Establishing a comprehensive cybersecurity approach will give utility companies and grid operators another important tool to improve the grid’s ability to respond to cybersecurity risks.” 

To launch the initiative, officials from the Energy Department, the White House and DHS met today with more than two dozen senior leaders from across the electric sector.   The Department will host a series of workshops with the private sector to draft a maturity model that can be used throughout the electric sector.

More than a dozen electric utilities and grid operators are expected to participate in the pilot program to test the maturity model, assess its effectiveness and validate results. This public-private partnership and pilot program will help develop a risk management maturity model that is expected to be made available to the electric sector later this summer.