Cyber Threat to US Power Grids Escalating as Election Approaches

(Bloomberg) — US power grids are facing heightened risks of cyber and physical attacks as the election nears, according to the nation’s top reliability regulator.

The increased threats come from state-backed hackers as well as the type of physical assault that happened at North Carolina substations in late 2022, said Jim Robb, chief executive officer of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., which sets federal standards.

“We are anticipating a fairly active year on the security front,” Robb said at an Electric Power Supply Association conference in Washington on Tuesday.