"Biden Team Boosts Effort to Shield U.S. Power Grid From Hackers"

"The Biden administration is escalating efforts to safeguard the U.S. power grid from hackers, developing a plan to better coordinate with industry to counter threats and respond to cyber attacks, according to people familiar with the matter.

Top administration officials, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger, briefed top utility industry executives on the efforts in a March 16 meeting, said the people, who requested anonymity because the session was private.

The plan, which could prompt widespread changes in standards and cyber defense strategies, is set to be issued within weeks. U.S. officials hope to create plans for other critical industries but are starting with the electrical sector because of its importance to the economy and recent activities targeting the grid by foreign hackers, one person said."

Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer A. Dlouhy, and Michael Riley report for Bloomberg March 29, 2021.

Source: Bloomberg, 03/29/2021