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DOE electric grid cyberattack protection funds overview:
- Who: The U.S. Department of Energy announced its intention to set aside $45 million to fund research projects aimed at protecting electric grids from cyberattacks.
- Why: The DOE says it is allocating the funds in order to help ensure the security of the nation’s electric grid in the age of modern cyberattacks.
- Where: The security of the electric grid affects consumers nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that it is allocating $45 million worth of funds towards creating tools and technologies that can be used to protect the nation’s electric grids against cyberattacks.
The funds will be given to the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response in order to fund as many as 15 research projects aimed at creating “next-generation tools and technologies,” according to a DOE news release.
The DOE says the tools and technologies will be designed to help limit the risks of US energy system operators falling victim to a cyberattack and to improve their ability to respond to and eradicate them without disrupting service.
“As DOE builds out America’s clean energy infrastructure, this funding will provide the tools for a strong, resilient, and secure electricity grid that can withstand modern cyberthreats and deliver energy to every pocket of America,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
Funding of new cybersecurity tools part of greater effort to protect energy sector, says DOE
The DOE says that the funding of new technologies and tools to help prevent electric grid cyberattacks is part of its ongoing effort to “build greater cyber defenses into our energy sector.”
The DOE’s efforts have been supported by the Biden administration, which recently passed several acts — including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act — that grant help with funding for upgrades to the electrical grid.
“DOE will use this investment to continue delivering on the Biden Administration’s commitment to making energy cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable,” Granholm said.
The DOE says the six proposed topic areas for the research projects, including automated cyberattack prevention and mitigation, security and resiliency by design, and authentication mechanisms for energy delivery systems.
Proposed topic areas for electric grid cyberattacks prevention projects are automated methods to discover and mitigate vulnerabilities, cybersecurity through advanced software solutions, and integration of new concepts and technologies with existing infrastructure, according to the department.
Last year, a failure of the electrical grid in Texas led to millions of residents suffering from a lack of electricity for days amidst a bout of severe cold winter weather.
Do you agree with the DOE’s decision to set aside funds to help prevent electric grid cyberattacks? Let us know in the comments!
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