THINGS THAT COULD TAKE DOWN THE GRID

US Officials Look At How To Respond To Threats To Electric Grid
Mark Peters (w.Siobhan Gorman), June 2, 2010 (Wall Street Journal)

"Officials in charge of the reliability of the U.S. electric grid are taking a closer look at how to respond to cyberattacks and other possible catastrophic events.

"The North American Electric Reliability Corp., or NERC, and the U.S. Department of Energy in [High-Impact, Low-Frequency Event Risk to the North American Bulk Power System] call for a range of steps-- from increasing communication to ensuring the supply of transformers and other equipment--to mitigate what they described as a "high-impact, low-frequency" event on the nation's power system."

click to enlarge

"The report looked at a cyberattack, a pandemic and the detonation of a nuclear bomb at high altitudes among other possibilities. The catastrophic events the report examines aren't necessarily the most probable, yet officials say cyberthreats are being detected currently on the nation's grid…"

click to enlarge

"The report highlights how new technologies to upgrade the grid and enable better coordination and control--often referred to generically as a smart grid--create potential new vulnerabilities. Additionally, the report states it's unclear to what extent utility networks already have been infiltrated…[C]yberspies have penetrated the grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system.

"The NERC report list a series of steps that should be taken to mitigate the possible threats, including supporting research and development of tools to detect cyberattacks and ensuring the availability of vaccinations for key grid workers…[It] will be used by government and industry officials to produce specific plans."