Jackson Lee pushes to boost power-grid defenses against ISIS

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) on Friday called for action on a bill bolstering power-grid cybersecurity after a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is trying to hack American electrical power companies.

“No solace should be taken in the fact that ISIS has been unsuccessful,” Jackson Lee said. “ISIS need only be successful once to have catastrophic impact on regional electricity supply.”

{mosads}Caitlin Durkovich, assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at DHS, told energy firm executives at an industry conference in Philadelphia last week that ISIS “is beginning to perpetrate cyberattacks.”

Law enforcement officials speaking at the same event indicated that the group’s efforts have so far been unsuccessful, thanks in part to a Balkanized power grid and an unsophisticated approach.

“Strong intent. Thankfully, low capability,” said John Riggi, a section chief at the FBI’s cyber division. “But the concern is that they’ll buy that capability.”

Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee and ranking member on the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, in January introduced the Terrorism Prevention and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act.

The bill directs DHS to work with critical infrastructure companies to boost their cyber defenses against terrorist attacks, part of a swath of legislation that has attempted to codify the agency’s responsibilities in that area.

Late last year, the Senate passed its version of the House-passed National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act.

The bill officially authorized an already-existing cybersecurity information-sharing hub at DHS.

Although a deadly attack on power plants or the electric grid — a “cyber Pearl Harbor” — is still only a hypothetical, experts warn critical infrastructure sites are increasingly at risk, as electric grids get smarter.

National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers told lawmakers last fall that China and “one or two” other countries would be able to shut down portions of critical U.S. infrastructure with a cyberattack. Researchers suspect Iran to be on that list.

In August, DHS announced the creation of a new subcommittee dedicated to preventing attacks on the power grid.

The new panel is tasked with identifying how well the department’s lifeline sectors are prepared to meet threats and recover from a significant cyber event.

The committee will also provide recommendations for a more unified approach to state and local cybersecurity.

“There is a great deal that has been done and is being done now to secure our networks,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told the House Judiciary Committee in July. “There is more to do.”