Hackers are increasingly targeting electric, natural gas and other vital utilities, threatening a disaster of epic proportions that experts say firms are doing too little to guard against.
"We will see catastrophic outages," PG&E Chief Information Security Officer James Sample warned state regulators at a recent forum, though not specifically referring to his company.
"We are dealing with a very intelligent adversary."
The threat is regarded by U.S. officials and others as among the most worrisome the nation faces.
The threat is regarded by U.S. officials and others as among the most worrisome the nation faces.
A cyberattack could so severely damage a utility that millions of people might be left without power for months, experts say, shutting down water and transportation systems, threatening the sick and elderly, and causing billions of dollars in damage........
"The agency, which held the forum Sample attended, warned in a recent report that utilities are becoming increasingly vulnerable as their networks add smart meters and other computerized gear.
But while federal rules require certain facilities and power lines to be protected from hackers, most are not.
The CPUC's study said,
"The agency, which held the forum Sample attended, warned in a recent report that utilities are becoming increasingly vulnerable as their networks add smart meters and other computerized gear.
But while federal rules require certain facilities and power lines to be protected from hackers, most are not.
The CPUC's study said,
"80-90 percent or more of the electric infrastructure currently does not fall under any required standards and cybersecurity practices of the utilities are not monitored."
No comments:
Post a Comment