Tuesday, January 05, 2010

U.S. Energy Department to Form $172 Million Private-Public Group to Secure Nation's Electric Grid from Cyberattacks

As much as I talk about potential cyberattacks and write articles about cyberattacks, you may realize that I feel a major 9/11 style cyberattack is forthcoming in our country. AND it will likely be a false flag cyberattack that will be used to usher in some type of Patriot Act for the Internet or an iPatriot Act. Nevertheless, as of December 29, 2009, Congress has appropriated $172,000,000 for the Department of Energy to form a group to evaluate and determine ways to protect the electrical grid!

A public-private group the Energy Department is forming to better secure the nation's electric grid from cyberattacks must be given strong regulatory and budgetary authority to drive sweeping changes to computer networks, security specialists said...

...Once its launched, the group's goals will be to establish "policies and protocol to ensure the effective deployment of technology and software controls to protect the bulk power electric grid," according to the fiscal 2010 appropriations bill, which President Obama signed into law on Oct. 28, 2009.

Congress required that within 60 days of the enactment of the appropriations law -- which was Dec. 27, 2009 -- Energy Secretary Steven Chu would have to invite qualified individuals from the power and security industries to disseminate best practices in cybersecurity; organize the collection, analysis and dissemination of the vulnerabilities and threats that networks face; and work cooperatively with Energy and other federal agencies that oversee efforts to enhance security of the bulk power electric grid.

Source: Nextgov


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