These recommendations have not been implemented yet, leaving the grid vulnerable. An earlier GAO report notes that the U.S. electric grid faces significant cybersecurity risks because threat actors are becoming increasingly capable of carrying out attacks on the grid. Nations, criminal groups, and terrorists pose the most significant cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, according to the report. After the 2013 attack in California, a Ferc analysis found that attackers could cause a blackout coast-to-coast if they took out only nine of the 55,000 substations in the US. by Charles Landow and James McBride Sectors such as finance and the defense industrial base have developed strong information sharing practices with government support. Additional threats to the smart grid include: Denial of Service (DoS) - An attack against the availability of the network. It said it was actively cooperating with the FBI. The Barack Obama administration publicly named the foreign actors behind some attacks and provided supporting evidence on a case-by-case basis. Actions taken now could significantly mitigate the effects of a large-scale blackout caused by a cyberattack. Given the fragility of many industrial control systems, even reconnaissance activity risks accidentally causing harm. by CFR.org Editors You can cause a ripple effect where one outage can cause an entire seaboard to go down., The Associated Press contributed to this report, FBI joins investigation into attack on North Carolina power grid, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. We prioritize recommendations that need immediate attention. There are many ways to help mitigate threats to the energy infrastructure from cyber, physical and existential causes. We were fortunate to avoid any power supply disruption, which would have jeopardized public safety, increased financial damages and presented challenges to the community on a holiday.. In January, the Department of Homeland Security said domestic extremists had been developing "credible, specific plans"since at least 2020 and would continue to "encourage physical attacks against electrical infrastructure.". by James McBride Iran, as an emergent cyber actor, could acquire such capability. The United States is not prepared for such an attack." "It is now clear this cyber threat is one [of] the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation," President Obama said during a speech. Disabling or otherwise interfering with the power grid in a significant way could thus seriously harm the United States. Ukraine's Governmental Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) announced that Russia's state-backed threat group Sandworm launched two waves of cyberattacks against an unnamed Ukrainian energy . The U.S. power grid is suffering a decade-high surge in attacks as extremists, vandals and cyber criminals increasingly take aim at the nation's . 7 April 2022. Many experts predicted that Russia would launch significant cyber attacks in Ukraine, shutting down the country's electrical grid for example. Attacks on U.S. power grid surges to new peak Such a regimenthe Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards established by the North America Electric Reliability Council (NERC)has been in place for over a decade, though GAO has found that many standards remain voluntary and the extent to which utilities have implemented these standards is unknown. In one scenario, disruption of just nine transformers could cause widespread outages. The number of direct physical attacks, including acts of vandalism and other suspicious activity, that potentially threatened grid reliability rose 77% to 163 in 2022 from the previous year . It was formed to address the urgency of protecting energy critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. Solar flares are made up of high-energy particles resulting from explosions on the Suns surface. Utilities in Oregon andWashington told news outlets they were cooperating with the FBI, but spokespeople for the agency's Seattle and Portland field offices said they couldn't confirm or denyan investigation. Russian hackers took out parts of the country's power grid, which . The bottom line is that cybersecurity for the U.S. Energy Grid must be elevated, One group elevating preparedness is an organization called The Electric Grid Cybersecurity Alliance. A security guard standing inside a commercial building nearby the window reflecting light. To them, cybersecurity is not emerging. Two of the attacks shared similarities with the incident in Moore county, North Carolina, where two stations were hit by gunfire. Industry experts, federal officials and others have warned in one report after another since at least 1990that thepower grid was at risk, said Granger Morgan, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University who chaired three National Academies of Sciences reports. What Can Be Done? The reportsurged state and federal agencies to collaborate to make the system more resilient to attacks and natural disasters such as hurricanes and storms. Attacks on the United States' power grid have been the subject of extremist chatter for some time, notably ticking up in 2020, the same year a 14-page how-to on low tech attacks, including . Hundreds participate in electric grid cyberattack simulation amid Based on precedents from both cyber- and non-cyberattacks over multiple administrations, government agencies would likely advocate for a show of firm resolve but recommend avoiding a rush to judgment or an immediate counterattack. At the same time, the grid is becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks via: The US government standards agency NIST is also prioritizing cybersecurity of the Grid in their progam Cybersecurity for Smart Grid Systems. Scott L. Hall and Callie Carmichael, USA TODAY. Attacks on Power Grid Spike, Neo-Nazis a Rising Threat - Business Insider To protect the grid from cyberattack, the Trump administration should initially focus on creating an information-sharing system that can bring together early signals that an attack against the grid is under way and share information that can be used to stop it. Power lines in Oregon, seen after a wildfire. Revisiting past cyber operations in light of new cyber norms and Duke Energy workers repair an electrical substation that they said was hit by gunfire, near Pinehurst, North Carolina, on Tuesday. When a CME hits Earth, it can cause a geomagnetic storm which disrupts the planet s magnetosphere, our radio transmissions and electrical power lines. In practice, many industrial control systems are built on general computing systems from a generation ago. It is doubtful that a terrorist organization would have both the intent and means to carry out such an attack successfully. At least 108 human-related events were reported during the first eight months of 2022, compared with 99 in all of 2021 and 97 in 2020. . The energy industry is vulnerable. Humans in orbit are also very vulnerable to these events, whose high-energy particles are not shield by typical spacecraft. The growing cybersecurity threats in a smart grid environment It is roughly divided into the western states, Texas, and the eastern U.S. and Midwest. A series of warning indicators would likely foretell a cyberattack on the U.S. power grid. In 2019, we recommendedthat FERC consider adopting changes to its approved standards to more fully address federal guidance and evaluate the potential risks of a coordinated attack. "Everyone's ears perk up when 'cyber attack' meets 'electric utility,' but thankfully, the grid was not affected in this case," noted Bill Lawrence, CISO at SecurityGate.. "By the way, a large percentage of the smaller, distribution-level electric cooperatives are immune from . The gaps for cyber -attackers have been recognized by government and industry. However, the experience of other countries and the technical reality of the internet suggest that these firewalls are ineffective for cybersecurity but well suited to restricting speech online and censoring information. Similar attacks happened at two energy substations in North Carolina where residents lost power after gunshots. China accused of cyberattacks on Indian power grid In 2013, still unknown assailants cut fiber-optic phone lines and used a sniper to fire shots at a Pacific Gas & Electric substation near San Jose in what appeared to be a carefully planned attack that caused millions of dollars in damage. Given the recent news of Industroyer2 targeting Ukrainian electrical substations in April 2022 and the increased threat of cyber attacks on energy infrastructure, IronNet Threat Research took an interest . Maintaining and exercising manual operations of the grid, planning and exercising recovery operations, and continually expanding distributed power could significantly shorten the duration of any blackout and reduce economic and societal damage. These events, CMEs for [+] short, are powerful releases of solar charged particles (plasma) and magnetic field, travelling on the solar wind. Hackers and hacktivists, as well as malicious insiders, also pose significant risks to the U.S. power grid as well." Remote access has made our system more vulnerable to attacks. Federal agencies should also be provided with specific mission jurisdictions for implementing risk management policy frameworks in coordination with regulators, and utilities themselves. For example, the strategy does not include a complete assessment of all the cybersecurity risks to the grid. Ukraine and US targeted by cybersecurity attacks in run-up - The Verge Making public attribution of attacks a routine practice could be a deterrent. China has been accused of conducting a long-term cyber attack on India's power grid, and has been implicated in cyber attacks against targets in Ukraine. Ukraine energy grid hit by Russian Industroyer2 malware The physical risks to the power grid have been known for decades, Granger Morgan, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, told CBS. Christmas Day attacks on power substations. The agency has not yet confirmed if it is investigating the incidents. 2022; With increasing installations of grid-connected power electronic converters in the . A US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report released in January warned that domestic extremists have been developing credible, specific plans to attack electricity infrastructure since at least 2020. Pre-Attack Measures. Such sophisticated actions would require extensive planning by an organization able to recruit and coordinate a team that has a broad set of capabilities and is willing to devote many months, if not years, to the effort. Protective Measures. Attacks on power grids are no longer a theoretical concern. The cyber attack also affected the phone and email systems but spared the power grid and fiber network. The two men pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide . "It was compiled on 2022-03-23, according to the PE timestamp, suggesting that attackers had planned their attack for more than two weeks." CERT-UA said in a security advisory that the Industroyer2 attack hit a single, unnamed Ukrainian organization in two separate waves, but the attack apparently failed to trigger a power grid failure and that . The deterrence policy should articulate how the administration would view an attack on the power grid and should outline possible response options. In the first eight months ofthis year, 34 suspicious incidents were reported. An abstract 3D render of a microprocessor on a circuit board with many electrical components [+] installed. The truth is, it is nigh on impossible to make the entire network impregnable. After the North Carolina attacks, acoordinating council between the electric power industry and the federal government ordered a security evaluation. Domestic terrorists see the U.S. electric grid as a "particularly attractive target," according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security warning, raising fears of a physical attack on critical . Potential indicators could include smaller test-run attacks outside the United States on systems that are used in the United States; intelligence collection that indicates an adversary is conducting reconnaissance or is in the planning stages; deterioration in relations leading to escalatory steps such as increased intelligence operations, hostile rhetoric, and recurring threats; and increased probing of electric sector networks and/or the implementation of malware that is detected by more sophisticated utilities. A string of attacks on power facilities in Oregon and Washington has caused alarm and highlighted the vulnerabilities of the US electric grid. LONDON, April 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Tuesday it had thwarted an attempt by Russian hackers last week to damage its electricity grid with a cyberattack. Ukraine: Russian Attacks on Energy Grid Threaten Civilians In a news release, Timothy Langan, assistant director of the FBIs Counterterrorism Division, saidthe defendants "wanted to attack regional power substations and expected the damage would lead to economic distress and civil unrest.". The EMP threat can also be implemented by missiles exploded in the atmosphere, and other delivery methods. 20 March 2022. ABERDEEN, S.D. The hypothetical attack targeted power generators to cause a blackout covering fifteen states and the District of Columbia, leaving ninety-three million people without power. FEMA should develop a response plan for a prolonged regional blackout that addresses the logistical difficulties of responding at scale in an environment degraded by the loss of power. All rights reserved. Most experts believe that the current complexity of grid operations in the United States would make a switch to manual operations difficult; newer systems might not allow for the use of manual controls at all. February 13, 2023 In the article Bracing for a big power grid attack: 'One is too many', USA Today states "About once every four days, part of the nation's power grid a system whose failure could leave millions in the dark . The sprawling U.S. water system is central to the nations economy, but chronic underinvestment, increasing demand, and the consequences of climate change have revealed the systems weaknesses. However, considerable potential exists to miscalculate both the impact of a cyberattack on the U.S. grid and how the U.S. government might respond. gunfire was reported near a hydropower plant, have warned in one report after another since at least 1990, Power restoredfollowing damage at power substations, North Carolina substations attack is latestinfrastructure threat, Outages in North Carolina county could last days, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. However,we found that DOEs plans do not fully incorporate the key characteristics of an effective national strategy. As a starting point, the administration should be clear that an action against the grid would be treated as an armed attack and signal that a military response in or out of cyberspace would likely be required. In August of 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) pledged $45 million "to create, accelerate, and test technology that will protect our electric grid from cyber-attacks," while also helping America attain cleaner energy and a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. May 19, 2022. The underlying reality is that the US electric grid infrastructure is extremely vulnerable to physical, cyber, and forces of nature incidents. It is here. Print |. This problem has not been corrected with the latest generation of smart grid technologies; the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that these devices often lack the ability to authenticate administrators and cannot maintain activity logs necessary for forensic analysis, among other deficiencies. The new reality is that most of the U.S. Energy Grid critical infrastructure components operate in a digital environment that is internet accessible. Someone clearly wanted to damage equipment and, possibly, cause a power outage, said John Lahti, the utilitys transmission vice-president of field services. And global terrorist and nation state adversaries could pose a threat to stations and substations. Russian military-linked hackers target Ukrainian power company - CNN For example, grid distribution systemswhich carry electricity from transmission systems to consumershave grown more vulnerable, in part because their operational technology increasingly allows remote access and connections to business networks. by Will Freeman The Good Friday Agreement has dampened sectarian tensions and brought stability to Northern Ireland, but the peace deals twenty-fifth anniversary has been marred by a Brexit-related trade impasse that has thrown the regions hard-won gains into doubt. The Risk of Russian Cyberattacks on US Energy Infrastructure For certain pieces of technology, it may make sense to replace software systems with hardware systems, hardwiring functions into circuit boards so that they cannot be modified remotely. Protecting the US energy infrastructure, and being proactive against the three alarming threats to the US Energy Grid from cyber, physical, and existential events is a challenging endeavor but an imperative. Doing so would identify the difficulties of operating without power systems and prompt the development of response options to prevent unneeded delay. Agencies would present a range of options to respond. installed. In the event that an attack on the grid succeeds in causing blackout to some extent, the Trump administration should ensure that both the government and the industry are prepared to respond. Cyberattack on Ukraine grid: here's how it worked and perhaps why it Numbers for 2015 show a similar pattern. Russia's cyber attack on Ukraine's grid in 2015 knocked about 60 substations offline, leaving 230,000 people in the dark. Thus, an adversarys expectations that it could attack the power grid anonymously and with impunity could be unfounded. Nations and criminal groups pose the most significant cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, according to the Director of National Intelligences 2022 Annual Threat Assessment. Ukraine hit by 'massive' cyber-attack on government websites Power outages are over 2.5 times more likely than they were in 1984. Infrastructure Cybersecurity: The U.S. Electric Grid - Senate Attacks could easily inflict much greater damage than intended, in good part because the many health and safety systems that depend on electricity could fail as well, resulting in widespread injuries and fatalities. Alternatively, a tax deduction for utility spending on cybersecurity may be a less directbut more politically palatableway to increase funding. More than a dozen cases of vandalism have been reported since September. Attacks on the US power grid spiked 77% in 2022, leaving it 'extremely This funding could allow criminal groups to purchase more sophisticated capabilities to carry out the ultimate ransomware attack. Attacks on US power grid have been subject of extremist chatter for Beyond simply naming the adversary behind attacks, the U.S. government could make clear how it would view an attack on the power grid and the kinds of responses it would consider. Why Russia Hasn't Launched Major Cyber Attacks | Time Several involved firearms. This could allow threat actors to access those systems and potentially disrupt operations. Cyber Attacks on the Power Grid. The attacks in the Pacific north-west are similar to the assault on North Carolina power stations that cut electricity to 40,000 people. US energy industry faces imminent cyber security threat. Any of the systems principal elementspower generation, transmission, or distributioncould be targeted for a cyberattack. More than 700 individuals associated with the bulk power grid and other related critical infrastructure participated in a simulation this week designed to test resilience against a major physical . The goal of the organization is to bring utility CEOs, CISOs, CIOs, and operational executives together in a trusted forum to confidently build an industry-wide cybersecurity game plan. A strong statement on deterrence could do more than anything else to prevent an attack on the grid. Components are labelled with random serial numbers, with many connections glowing in yellow color too. Yet critics of the program argue that it is too expensive for most utilities to participate in and that it is only focused on detecting threats at network boundaries rather than within ICS networks. A power plant employee adjusts the wiring of a power unit in North Texas. by James McBride and Noah Berman It is shown that by limiting the FDIs on targeted buses to 20% of their nominal load, multiple buses can experience severe overvoltages in a distribution grid. Backgrounder Finally, in March 2021, we found that the federal government does not have a good understanding of the scale of the potential impacts from attacks facing the component of the grid that is generally not subject to FERCs standards: distribution systems. Power companies use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks to control their industrial systems and many of these SCADA networks need to be updated and hardened to meet growing cybersecurity threats. As was done with aviation security after 9/11, Congress would likely move quickly to take over responsibility for protecting the grid from cyberattack by either creating a new agency or granting new authorities to an existing agency such as U.S. Cyber Command. A large-scale cyberattack on the U.S. power grid could inflict considerable damage. The grid is vulnerable to cyberattacks that could cause catastrophic, widespread, and lengthy blackouts. April 12, 2022, 6:29 AM PDT. Military warns EMP attack could wipe out America, 'democracy, world order' | Washington Examiner, Testimony at the Hearings from the late Dr. Peter Prye, a member of the Congressional EMP Commission and executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, put the threats in frightening perspective: Natural EMP from a geomagnetic super storm, like the 1859 Carrington Event or 1921 Railroad Storm, and nuclear EMP attack from terrorists or rogue states, as practiced by North Korea during the nuclear crisis of 2013, are both existential threats that could kill 9 of 10 Americans through starvation, disease and societal collapse., Dr. Prye also noted that a natural EMP catastrophe or nuclear EMP event could black out the national electric grid for months or years and collapse all the other critical infrastructures communications, transportation, banking and finance, food and water necessary to sustain modern society and the lives of 310 million Americans. It's time for the United States to get serious about stopping the flow. At least 20 actual physical attacks werereported, compared with sixin all of 2021. Thompson: Previous Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid and other Russian cyber actions have already had an impact on U.S. national security because we face the same threat. Solar storms are a different existential threat to address. The U.S. power grid has long been considered a logical target for a major cyberattack. The attacks have prompted a flurry of calls to better protect the nation's power grid, but experts have warned for more than three decades that stepped-up protection was needed. From a resiliency perspective, it might be worth incentivizing the purchase of systems that allow a direct draw and have on-site storage. The U.S. power grid is suffering a decade-high surge in attacks as extremists, vandals and cyber criminals increasingly take aim at the nation's critical infrastructure . The U.S. secretary of energy has said Russia could do the same thing here. EMP emits pulses of energy that can be emitted from the blast of a nuclear weapon, portable devices like high power microwave weapons (HPMWs). New revelations that the nation's power grid comes under physical or cyber attack every four days, according to analysis of federal documents by USA Today. They were not designed with security in mind and cannot be updated. Russian Hackers Are Targeting American Oil Refineries The Threat Against America's Power Grid | msnbc - YouTube Weekly. An adversary abuses an organization using equipment with unknown exploitable features. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The energy sector has a target on its back. While modernization planning focuses on new energy related technologies for distribution, resilience, storage, and capability, it is also focused on cybersecurity.