Last month the Wall Street Journal published a story entitled, “America’s Electric Grid has a Vulnerable Back Door and Russian Walked Through it.” The piece written by Rebecca Smith and Rob Barry details how contractors working for utilities were targeted directly by hackers and inadvertently provided access to those hackers targeting the power grid. The story tells the tale of unassuming companies floored when FBI and Homeland Security officers showed up at their offices to investigate what they had unknowingly been a part of. California-based cybersecurity firm Symantec Corp. is cited in the article as confirming at least 60 utilities were targeted and about two dozen of those were breached in the attack. The story is not only a page-turning read but also a clear calling for those of us in the industry to take cybersecurity most seriously. Being hacked has consequences that can reach well beyond your desktop’s ability to function (or not). This is a safety lesson we must as seriously as any other safety message in our industry.
Cyber Security is a Critical Safety Topic
