United States: Development Of Cybersecurity Standards In The Utility Industry

Introduction

"Electric Grid Vulnerability: Industry Responses Reveal Security Gaps," by the staffs of U.S. Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry Waxman (D-Cal.), resulted from a survey of more than 100 utilities. The report and the contemporaneous House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on "Cyber Threats and Security Solutions" are indicators of the level of legislative and regulatory attention to these issues. The report's findings included:

• Attacks on critical infrastructure, including energy, are up 68 percent from 2011 levels
• Many utilities reported "daily," "constant," or "frequent" attempted cyber attacks ranging from phishing to malware infection to unfriendly probes
• The rate of cyber attacks against American corporate and government infrastructure is on the rise and unlikely to abate

Click here to read the full entry written by members of the Global Regulatory Enforcement Practice Group and Energy and Natural Resources Industry Group.

This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.