Cyber Preparedness

Cyber Security in the Smart Grid. "Is that a real problem," you might ask? Well, yes...yes it is. A very real problem. Here's a bit of a blurb from today's news: The man in charge of America's cyber operations said that on a scale of one to 10, the nation's preparedness to deal with a major cyber attack on critical infrastructure sits at a dismal three. "Somebody who finds vulnerability in our infrastructure could cause tremendous problems," Army Gen. Keith Alexander, Director of the National Security Agency and chief of U.S. Cyber Command, told audience members at the Aspen Institute's annual security forum. Alexander said that since 2009, attempted cyber attacks on the nation's infrastructure systems have risen seventeen-fold. "I'm worried most about power. I'm worried about water. I think those are the ones that need the most help," he said. As emergency managers, we need to question those who run our power grids. Sure, they own the infrastructure, but lives depend on how well they are controlling it! I prefer to think of the power companies as "custodians" of the critical infrastructure, rather than "owners." My advice to the EM Community - take those custodians to task. Ask them to produce their cyber security plans and their business continuity plans. Your constituents will be grateful.