Feds Posit New Cybersecurity Modernization Plan for Energy Industry

Writing in Industrial Cyber, news editor Anna Ribeiro summarizes a new federal cybersecurity implementation plan for a cybersecurity modernization plan, “addressing the evolving energy landscape as it becomes more digitized.” The plan was issued by the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), an advisory agency for the federal government’s executive branch. 

As a practical matter, a grid becoming more digitized means it is Internet-accessible. However, the ONCD document states that while Internet-accessible systems reduce cost and improve efficiencies, “many widely deployed legacy technologies are not designed to operate securely over the Internet. This transformation presents emerging cybersecurity challenges for the reliability of the electric power grid.” 

The cybersecurity modernization plan comes at a time when the electrical grid is undergoing rapid transformation, which is in part related to the deployment of what’s described as “variable generation,” which primarily refers to wind and solar.

This configuration adds to the cybersecurity challenge by opening new avenues for disruption. Without intervention at the outset, these deficiencies could potentially be locked into the system and threaten the long-term viability of the national energy sector. 

Another factor complicating cybersecurity efforts under the new paradigm is that utilities may not own or operate the systems connected to the grid, so disruption possibilities are decentralized.

The ONCD cybersecurity modernization plan outlines 32 separate initiatives involving twelve government agencies and includes collaboration with state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, international partners, and Congress, as well as the private sector.