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Congress Mobilizes on Cyber Threats to Electric Grid
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Congress mobilizes on cyber threats to electric grid [thehill.com]
Lawmakers are zeroing in on the potential for foreign cyber attacks to take down the U.S. electric grid, with members in both chambers pushing hearings and a flurry of bills to address the issue.
Congressional interest in the issue is growing following reports [thehill.com] that Iran has stepped up its cyber attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure, and as Trump administration officials cite threats from Russia and China against the electric grid.
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee focused on threats to the grid during a hearing on Friday, as lawmakers look to get ahead of the issue.
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“We know our enemies are rapidly developing new techniques to compromise and attack our grid, so it is vitally important that the federal government and the electric industry remain vigilant in ensuring the grid is secure,” said full committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.).
The hearing featured testimony from witnesses including Karen Evans, the assistant secretary of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). Evans confirmed the issues faced by the energy grid, saying that “the frequency, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats continue to increase.”
Evans highlighted the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment [dni.gov] published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) earlier this year on the threat.
The assessment found that Russia not only has the ability to execute cyber attacks against the U.S. electric grid, but is also “mapping our critical infrastructure with the long-term goal of being able to cause substantial damage.”
On China, the ODNI warned that the country “has the ability to launch cyber attacks that cause localized, temporary disruptive effects on critical infrastructure.”
Recent analysis has also shown that Iran is stepping up cyber attacks against the U.S., drawing the attention of Trump officials. Christopher Krebs, the director of the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agency, said in a statement that officials "will continue to work with our intelligence community and cybersecurity partners to monitor Iranian cyber activity, share information and take steps to keep America and our allies safe."
The array of threats has Congress taking notice, and lawmakers from both parties have introduced a number of bills to combat cyber threats to the energy sector.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee had led the way, with the panel planning to hold a markup in the coming week of several cyber bills designed to secure the grid week, according to energy subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush [thehill.com]Bobby Lee Rush [thehill.com]CBC lawmakers rip Justice Democrats for targeting black lawmakers for primaries [thehill.com]The Hill's Morning Report - Harris, Warren rise and Biden tumbles after debates [thehill.com]Harris hops past Biden in early race for Black Caucus support [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (D-Ill.).
Rush's subcommittee already cleared four cyber bills, including the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act, which would enable DOE to provide cyber support to utilities that the secretary of Energy deems are at risk from cyber attack, and the Cyber Sense Act, which requires DOE to test the cybersecurity of products used in the power grid.
The other bills awaiting consideration by the full committee are the Energy Emergency Leadership Act and the Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act. The first bill would require the DOE secretary to assign energy emergency and security functions to an assistant secretary, while the second would require DOE to examine the cybersecurity of pipelines and liquified natural gas facilities.
All four bills have bipartisan support. Energy subcommittee Ranking Member Fred Upton [thehill.com]Frederick (Fred) Stephen Upton [thehill.com]The 27 Republicans who voted with Democrats to block Trump from taking military action against Iran [thehill.com]Overnight Defense: Woman accusing general of sexual assault willing to testify | Joint Chiefs pick warns against early Afghan withdrawal | Tensions rise after Iran tries to block British tanker [thehill.com]House approves amendment to reverse transgender military ban [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (R-Mich.), a sponsor of one of the bills, emphasized to The Hill on Friday that members of the committee are “on the same page” in acknowledging threats to the electricity sector. “We want to make sure that every tool is utilized to prevent anything bad from happening,” he added.
Other panels are at work as well. The House Science, Space, and Technology energy subcommittee will hold its own hearing on Wednesday focused on “modernizing and securing our nation’s electricity grid.”
A committee spokesperson said Evans will also testify at the hearing, along with officials from energy groups around the country. The spokesperson added that the hearing will “serve as a forum for experts to inform and give recommendations” on next steps around energy cybersecurity.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is also moving on the issue, with plans to mark up the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act on Tuesday. This bill, sponsored by Sens. Angus King [thehill.com]Angus Stanley King [thehill.com]Trump nominees meet fiercest opposition from Warren, Sanders, Gillibrand [thehill.com]Overnight Defense: Woman accusing general of sexual assault willing to testify | Joint Chiefs pick warns against early Afghan withdrawal | Tensions rise after Iran tries to block British tanker [thehill.com]Trump Joint Chiefs pick: Early Afghanistan withdrawal would be 'strategic mistake' [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (I-Maine) and Jim Risch [thehill.com]James (Jim) Elroy Risch [thehill.com]Overnight Defense: House approves 3 billion defense bill | Liberal sweeteners draw progressive votes | Bill includes measure blocking Trump from military action on Iran [thehill.com]Senators urge Trump to sanction Turkey for accepting Russian missile shipment [thehill.com]GOP senator: US should 'reevaluate' long-term relationship with Saudis [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (R-Idaho), would establish a two-year pilot program within DOE’s national laboratories to identify the security vulnerabilities faced energy sector entities.
King’s office noted that the bill was inspired by the 2015 incident in Ukraine, when a cyber attack on the country's grid shut down power for more than 225,000 people. The legislation passed the Senate last year, but the then-Republican House did not take action on it.
A companion measure was introduced in the House in February by Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger [thehill.com]Charles (Dutch) Albert Ruppersberger [thehill.com]House passes bill to establish DHS cyber 'first responder' teams [thehill.com]House Appropriations passes defense bill that would limit funds for border wall, pull US support from Yemen war [thehill.com]GOP-controlled Senate breaks with Trump on Saudi vote [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (D-Md.), where it awaits action in the House Science Committee.
Separately, Sens. Cory Gardner [thehill.com]Cory Scott Gardner [thehill.com]The Hill's Morning Report - 2020 jitters hit both parties in the Senate [thehill.com]Republicans form conservation caucus to take on environment, climate change [thehill.com]Finally, GOP lawmakers prove conservation and conservatism go hand-in-hand [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (R-Colo.) and Michael Bennet [thehill.com]Michael Farrand Bennet [thehill.com]Trump nominees meet fiercest opposition from Warren, Sanders, Gillibrand [thehill.com]George Will says Democrats should nominate Bennet to beat Trump in 2020 [thehill.com]Andrew Yang raises .8 million in second quarter [thehill.com]MORE [thehill.com] (D-Colo.) last week introduced the Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act, which would authorize DOE to provide financial assistance to states to develop or revise state energy security plans. The senators also introduced companion legislation to the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act.
Energy sector groups have largely been supportive of the bills, but worry there are some issues Congress has failed to address.
Scott Aaronson, the vice president of security and preparedness at the Edison Electric Institute, told The Hill that many electric companies are looking for Congress to designate “some liability protection” in regards to cyber attacks on the grid.
“We want to be supportive but we also want to protect our customers and our infrastructure,” Aaronson said on congressional efforts to secure the grid.
And there are other lingering questions.
Richard Mroz, senior advisor on state and government relations at Protect Our Power, said out a serious roadblock to legislation to secure the grid are concerns over costs.
“One challenge industry and regulators have is what is this all going to cost, and it isn’t quite clear what those costs are yet,” Mroz told The Hill. “Consumers need to understand that to protect these systems, it’s going to cost something.”
But Mroz underlined the overall threats to the grid and the urgency facing lawmakers. He warned that despite industry's efforts, in a worst-case scenario a cyber attacker could hack into a control system and endanger civilians.
“That is the issue, that an adversary could remotely turn off the power plant, turn off the wastewater treatment system, turn off the pumps or the switches for our cell tower,” Mroz said.
