Rick Perry has a plan for Russia's grid attacks. Some lawmakers worry it's not enough
The Trump administration has been dinged by critics at nearly every turn for its response to Russian meddling in affairs at home.
Yesterday, Rick Perry got his turn.
The head of the Energy Department has an often overlooked but critical role in protecting the U.S. energy sector from digital attacks. And senators gave Perry an earful after a recent report that Russians nuzzled their way into computer systems controlling nuclear power plants and other pieces of energy infrastructure in the United States.
Perry responded that he is taking the threat so seriously, he is creating a whole new office within the Energy Department to handle it.
The new Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER) will coordinate efforts to protect the electric grid -- and should the worst happen, respond to compromises.
Russian efforts to disrupt the 2016 presidential election through cyberattacks and fake news have been the subject of numerous news stories for more than a year. Less publicized, but also serious, are a series of remote intrusions Russians have made into U.S. power plants, which have been confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
Our energy infrastructure is under attack,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee who over the past several months has been loudly beating the drum on the Russian threat to the grid. “It’s under cyberattack and we need to do much more to protect it as a national critical asset. Russia has proven its ability to disrupt the grid.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chair of the committee, backed her Democratic colleague: “Know I share Senator Cantwell’s concern on this. I want to make sure that DOE is cooperating with DHS and the FBI with implementation of actions in response.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2018/03/21/the-energy-202-rick-perry-has-a-plan-for-russia-s-grid-attacks-some-lawmakers-worry-it-s-not-enough/5ab17e7a30fb045e48d05aeb/?utm_term=.46d21c422440
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I mean, it's not like incompetence in this department is a big deal or anything.
