Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water

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Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) warns that the April 16, 2014, attack on a California power plant proves that terrorists could take down whole stretches of the U.S. power grid. Schumer said Sunday that power companies currently have the right to veto proposed security requirements, but he is calling for the federal energy regulator and the Department of Homeland Security to draft tougher security standards overseen by Congress that would end the industry’s veto rights.

An April attack on Silicon Valley’s phone lines and power grid was terrorism, according to former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Jon Wellinghoff said Wednesday. The FBI has released multiple statements that is has found no indications to support this claim, but Wellinghoff says he reached his conclusion after consulting with Defense Department experts about the attack, which involved snipping AT&T fiber-optic lines to knock out phone and 911 service, and firing shots into a PG&E substation, causing outages, an Associated Press article reports.

The reality of living without computers, mobile phones and entertainment systems, and managing a transport system thrown into chaos by an absence of traffic lights, trains and subways, may become increasingly common, according to a new academic study.

Bipartisan legislation to fortify U.S. cybersecurity has been approved by the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies, and the measure – the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2013 – will heat to the full Homeland Security Committee for consideration.

The Cisco 2014 Annual Security Report reveals that threats designed to take advantage of users’ trust in systems, applications and personal networks have reached startling levels.

The University of Nevada, Reno is establishing a Cyber Security Center.

The number of countries possessing the makings of a nuclear bomb has dropped by almost one-quarter over the past two years, but there remain “dangerous weak links” in nuclear materials security, says a report.

Disguised as authentic utility workers, a band of copper thieves dug up and stole nearly £280,000-worth of redundant cabling from locations all around London, many of which were leaked through at least one crooked BT employee.

“Security is about enabling a mission. Business leaders are able to take our tools and apply them to a variety of settings to create success. Our job is to create an environment of success for the enterprise. It is not what we do, rather, it is how we enable the enterprise to achieve its goals,” shares Frank Taylor, Vice President and Chief Security Officer for The General Electric Company. It is important to note that as you read this, one of America’s (not just security’s) greatest leaders and thinkers will have retired, again.

The nation’s critical infrastructure is coming under increased pressure to protect their vital systems and assets from outside cyber threats as the number of attacks increase and stronger regulations are imposed.