November 20 – The North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) announced that it has completed a two-day simulation with power sector companies to test their emergency response and recovery plans for physical and cyber security attacks.

Recently, agencies have uncovered plots against power infrastructure and electric substations in various parts of the country. In light of this, NERC emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant against threat actors who aim to leave thousands in the dark without connected power.

The Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), led by NERC senior vice president Manny Cancel, organized GridEx, the largest grid security exercise in North America, which took place on November 14-15. More than 250 participants, including electric and natural gas companies, as well as government agencies, took part in the exercise.

NERC also highlighted the evolving cyber threats faced by the electric grid, driven by geopolitical events, new vulnerabilities, and increasingly audacious cyber criminals and hackers.

In a report released on Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission warned that a coordinated cyber or physical attack on the bulk power system or generation fuel sources, particularly during severe cold weather, could have a significant impact.

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