US Preps Cyber Outfit To Protect Electric Grid

coondoggie writes to mention that the US Department of Energy is planning to set up a new "National Energy Sector Cyber Organization" in order to protect the national bulk power electric grid. For the low, low cost of $8.5 million they will help integrate smart grid technology with the electric grid, speed research, and establish new policy and protocols. "It is paramount that smart grid devices and interoperability standards include protections against cyber intrusions and have systems that are designed from the start (not patches added on) that prevent unauthorized persons from gaining entry through the millions of new access points created by the deployment of smart grid technologies, Hoffman stated."

Re:Make the process open

[teeks99]

I agree that it should be, however it is completely cost prohibitive to get a separate network run to the smart meter in everyone's home. Even running a separate network to all the utility substations would be challenging.

In reality, VPNs run all over the public internet, and can be extremely secure. DOD even allows parts of their classified networks to run over the commercial internet, provided they have the correct encryption gear at each end. The DOD gear is really expensive and tough to get setup, but there is no reason this needs to be the case existing Public Key and Symmetric Key crypto is plenty strong, and could even be implemented in dedicated (cheap) hardware.

We can't get a real Cybersecurity Czar, but...

[zero_out]

we are expected to have a secure smart grid? How hard is it to give some real powers to the Cybersecurity Czar so he's something more than a scapegoat, and get him to stay put long enough to complete his New Employee Orientation? We can't even do that, yet we're supposed to find a way to secure the smart grid?

Has the current Cybersecurity Czar even made a statement about the recent hacking invasion from the Chinese government?