Many sophisticated attacks can hide themselves so an IT approach cannot detect them.” “Today’s utility network creates more vulnerabilities as new technologies are integrated. “Because the traditional utility network was physically isolated from the public network, an IT approach was sufficient for most threats,” said Bo Chen, an Argonne computational engineer. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, who are working to make the electric power grid more resilient to cyberattacks. grid - a massive, interconnected, cross-country network that generates, transmits, and distributes electricity - is critical to national security.īut as the grid becomes more complex and hackers get more sophisticated, the traditional IT approach to cybersecurity is no longer sufficient, according to scientists at the U.S. An increasingly digitized power grid can create numerous entry points for malicious actors seeking to disrupt the nation’s power supply.

While a smarter and more connected electric grid can increase resiliency against threats like extreme weather events, the grid’s growing size and complexity increases vulnerability to cyberattacks.

electric grid to meet 21st century power needs means updating the vast, complex network with “smart” technology to leverage the automation, connectivity, and renewable energy resources necessary to deliver electricity more reliably and efficiently.

Electrical grids in the us