From: EnergyBiz
THE UNITED STATES’ critical infrastructure sectors face the risk of frequent cyberattacks with potential effects that could damage vital systems, expose customer information to theft or severely limit essential safety activities. “A Summary of State Regulators’ Responsibilities Regarding Cybersecurity Issues,” a report by the National Regulatory Research Institute, studied cybersecurity responsibilities and practices of state public utility commissions and the roles of other state, federal and private sector organizations. The research found a variety of regulatory responses to challenges posed by cybersecurity threats. States have tended to approach cybersecurity through the lenses of system reliability and smart grid applications, or by asking their regulated utilities questions about their cybersecurity plans and procedures. The best possible approach for regulating critical infrastructure cybersecurity remains elusive as the states enter into a complicated regulatory environment with the traditional goal of safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates.
A cyberattack threatens system reliability in each utility sector and could affect a system in a number of ways. Furthermore, the integration of utility systems has wide-reaching effects on public health and safety because without electricity, communications systems, gasoline pumps, water purification systems and other utility systems would not be able to function. Each utility sector offers invaluable support to other utility sectors, and the cascading effects of a cyberattack could be extreme. Although each attack could have a different target and method, all attacks ultimately affect system reliability and customer service.
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