Mike Couick
Open the pages of any newspaper—or scroll through the headlines of your favorite news website on a smartphone or tablet—and you are likely to find a story about cyber crime and the efforts to defeat it.
The online world that we’ve come to rely on for information, communication, commerce and entertainment can be a scary place, and it’s important to realize that utilities, including your local electric cooperative, aren’t exempt from hacker attacks.
Consider these recent reports:
The July 9 New York Times reported that earlier this year, Chinese hackers successfully compromised a U.S. government database containing information on tens of thousands of applicants for security clearances.
A special report in the July 12 issue of The Economist included this shocking statistic: More than 800 million digital records, including credit card and debit card details, were stolen by cyber crooks in 2013—a three-fold increase over 2012.
A report from The Associated Press, published in the Sept. 8 edition of The State newspaper, revealed that the U.S. Naval Academy now requires all cadets to take at least two semesters of cyber security coursework in order to graduate. The academy also plans to create a new degree program in cybersecurity.
Craig Miller, chief scientist for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), says there are thousands of probes, big and small, into utility systems each year. Most are attempts to grab personal data like bank account information, Social Security numbers and other personal data, but some have been aimed at the computers controlling the power grid.
Here’s the good news: Electric co-ops aren’t taking these threats lightly. Thanks to the leadership of the Cooperative Research Network (CRN) and a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, security experts are developing a powerful new tool to fight hackers. It’s called Essence, and it is designed to protect both the automated systems that run the utility network and the personal information of co-op members.
Most computer systems are protected through firewall programs, special software that blocks suspicious attempts to connect or upload software. These programs depend on lists of known threats that have to be constantly updated, says Maurice Martin, CRN’s project manager for cybersecurity.
Essence takes a different approach. Instead of monitoring what’s going in and out of the network, this powerful new tool monitors the network itself. “It looks for anomalies—stuff that shouldn’t be happening—and then raises a red flag when it sees something that’s amiss,” Martin says.
The goal is to develop a hardware device small enough to hold in one hand, and versatile enough to install unobtrusively on any network, allowing co-ops of every size to enhance the security of their systems.
Researchers hope to have the first prototypes deployed for field testing early next year. If Essence proves its worth, commercial partners will be brought in to produce the product on a national scale, giving all electric utilities a powerful new way to combat hackers.
Are you surprised to learn that co-ops are taking the lead in cyber research and development? You shouldn’t be. As not-for-profit businesses owned by, and accountable to, the people we serve, co-ops are uniquely positioned to innovate on behalf of all utility consumers.
Delivering affordable and reliable electricity may be the daily work of electric cooperatives, but looking out for our members has always been our primary business. We exist to strengthen and empower our communities. Taking a leadership role on cybersecurity research is just one more example of the co-op difference.