Keeping the lights on

Why bother driving a car converted into a fuel bomb into a power substation when it’s easier to grab control of an entire power grid?

It’s certainly a possibility and it would be surprising if terrorist groups haven’t already considered it. And the threat may not even come from extremists. Hackers and disgruntled employees could cause just as much damage.

The concern is that while the bad guys are clearly out there, not enough of the good guys are devoting the resources necessary to prevent such attacks from occurring.

The stakes are high. Electricity drives computer networks that are the backbone of everything from schools to traffic-control devices and government agencies.

Without electricity, the country would shut down, but even a supply cut of just a few hours duration would cause tremendous damage, not to mention widespread panic.

The direct cost of such a blackout could easily cost an affected city hundreds of millions of dollars in the short-term but the resulting loss of confidence and prestige could be even higher and more difficult to remedy.

We are in this situation because previously closed systems have been opened up and connected to the internet.

The threat is exacerbated by the ragtag mixture of Windows and UNIX machines in operation that are increasingly connected to the kind of IP networks that can be found throughout the internet.

Security analysts say exposing the weaknesses inherent in such systems would be fairly straightforward and not beyond the remit of a determined hacker.

Although there is an emerging consensus that a threat exists, it does not necessarily follow that something will be done to combat it.

Implementing effective network security can be expensive. And nobody wants to spend money unless the absolutely have to.

The good news is that utilities within the GCC are already seeking to introduce higher security standards and training courses for their employees, despite there being no current legal obligation for them to do so.

But there is a distinct lack of focus on improving the security of the power grid as a whole. More needs to be done at a national and at a GCC level to ensure that the region continues to receive the power and water it so desperately needs.

Richard Baillie is the editor of Utilities Middle East.

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