Gas Pipelines Dodge Cyber Attacks ... And Federal Leguslation: Sen. Rockefeller continues quest for pipeline security oversight

摘要

Cyber attacks against the pipeline industry this year helped kill federal legislation to further protect the industry against cyber attacks - if that makes sense. In a whispered announcement last spring, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that parts of the U.S. interstate pipeline industry had successfully withstood recent cyber attacks. Details weren't disclosed, but the targets obviously would have been the computer centers that control pipeline compressor/pump stations. TSA issued several confidential "amber" alerts (the second-highest warning) in March about a "gas pipeline sector cyber intrusion campaign" against multiple companies. The attacks coincided with Sen. Jay Rockefeller's push for a bill to toughen the cyber security of critical infrastructure such as water plants, public transportation, power grids, financial systems - and pipelines. As the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the West Virginia Democrat had the clout to ram the legislation through, and nearly did.