US Grid Security: George R. Cotter's Filings

Published: Apr 3, 2023

This set of documents from NSA veteran George R. Cotter on the vulnerability of the U.S. grid is well worth combing through.

The takeway: Russia has been inside the U.S. Bulk Power System (BPS) for over a decade, and the nature of the incursions are deliberately hidden by the U.S. government from the public.

Some excerpts:

• The Russian Federation has had “unimpeded access to the BPS [Bulk Power System] since at least 2012 . . .”
• Russia’s “. . . Cyberwarfare tools, training, reconnaissance, and testing puts Russia in control of the Grid as a battlespace . . .”
• “the nation [U.S.] is past the tipping point . . .”
• “CIP standards have no value in protecting the Grid from foreign adversaries . . .” Instead, they’re a “‘feel good’ placebo for regulators and other overseers.”