THE WATCH STAFF
Canada and the United States are preparing their power grids for cyberattacks as the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine looms.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned January 24, 2022, that the West’s response to Russia’s actions could result in intrusions on critical infrastructure launched by Moscow or its proxies.
“We assess that Russia would consider initiating a cyberattack against the Homeland if it perceived a U.S. or NATO response to a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine threatened its long-term national security,” read a DHS intelligence and analysis bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies, ABC News reported.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security warned January 20 of potential Russian-backed intrusions on Canada’s infrastructure, the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper reported. The Cyber Centre’s counterpart in the U.S., the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also urged electrical utilities and energy firms to be alert for cyberattacks.
U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) are closely monitoring the situation.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of USNORTHCOM and NORAD, has said he expects Russia to threaten critical infrastructure during a crisis in an attempt to hinder U.S. forces. USNORTHCOM supports civil authorities and provides them with rapid flexible-response options to improve collective resilience.
(Pictured: CPS Energy officials evaluate security measures November 19, 2020, at a substation in San Antonio, Texas. The company partners with Joint Base San Antonio and other organizations to improve power-grid security and resilience.)
Canada and the U.S. are partners in NORAD, whose missions include aerospace warning for North America. The countries also work together on the civilian front under the United States-Canada Electric Grid Security and Resilience Strategy because their grids are interconnected at several points, according to the Cyber Centre.
U.S. President Joe Biden has called cybersecurity a “core national security challenge.” Since taking office, he has implemented an initiative to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, which has led electric utilities to commit to adopting new security technologies. On August 25, 2021, he met with technology leaders, including included those from Apple, Google and Microsoft, to discuss combating cybersecurity threats. The meeting came in the wake of the May 2021 cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline that disrupted fuel supplies in the U.S. Southeast. The administration has announced that an effort to improve real-time network monitoring of electrical utilities will expand to include natural gas companies, according to a January 19 White House fact sheet.
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House have also introduced bills designed to help protect the power grid.
Still, the New York Times newspaper reported January 16 that even though the Biden administration has moved to bolster government and defense systems, and the largest U.S. utilities run cyberattack simulations every two years, much of corporate America is less protected.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently concluded audits of cybersecurity practices of electrical grid operators and found they mostly comply with legally required cybersecurity measures, according to the Federal News Network. In Canada, the government also has taken steps to bolster its power grid, helping to fund collaborations between the nation’s universities and utilities.
“When the specter of harm arises, we call for vigilance,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters January 20, according to ABC News, “and quite frankly, in the cybersecurity arena, ever-present vigilance is what we call for.”
IMAGE CREDIT: CPS ENERGY DVIDS