From: UtilityDIVE
AUTHOR Iulia Gheorghiu
Dive Brief:
- Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., said he will work with Florida Power & Light (FP&L) to address the dearth of security clearances for utility employers as his office considers possible legislative solutions.
- After speaking a cybersecurity event Friday, McNerney told reporters that increasing utility access to sensitive information is a priority for him. While he did not address potential legislative solutions being considered, cyber-security experts and federal regulators discussed various efforts to declassify information throughout their presentations.
- Other experts, including National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) senior security engineer Jim McCarthy highlighted the need for “a concerted push” on the federal level to prioritize cybersecurity. Congress has had bipartisan support in recent years to pass cybersecurity and grid infrastructure legislation, but efforts were repeatedly scuttled on the House floor.
Dive Insight:
Security clearances require time and resources to obtain, but utilities need to access and share sensitive information in order to protect critical technologies and systems.
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