Ready to Respond:
The Electricity Sector and Evolving Cyber Threats - By Leah Michalopulos Director, Government Relations, Canadian Electricity Association
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eliable and resilient electricity is essential; this is why electricity companies work 24/7 to keep the grid running, keep our laptops powered, and keep our lights on. While the pandemic has been prevalent in all facets of business and life over the last year, perhaps an even more urgent challenge has been evolving cyber security threats. Not only are threat actors rising in numbers and becoming more sophisticated, but “state-sponsored actors are very likely attempting to develop cyber capabilities to disrupt Canadian critical infrastructure”. These are the stark messages outlined in the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s recent National Cyber Threat Assessment (‘NCTA’).
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canadian electricity association - THE GRID 2021 | Renewal
The world recently faced a real-life example of these threats when the SolarWinds supply chain compromise was brought to light. By exploiting a software vulnerability, hackers were able to access the networks of governments and businesses for several months.
While the attack was not specific to the electricity sector, it has forced everyone to take a closer look at the security of systems, and the supply chains that serve them.
