The Latest in IT Security

A military-style attack on a electrical substation in California last April nearly shut down power in the state, and raised serious questions about the security of US infrastructure. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) along with three other senators today requested both the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation to look into whether the federal government needs to bolster security at such facilities. That request includes whether there need to be new standard security measures beyond what the federal government already requires. While it appears that many utilities have a firm grasp on the problem, we simply do not know if there are substantial numbers of utilities or others that may have not taken adequate measures to protect against and minimize the harm from a physical attack, the letter says.