Hackers Try to Infiltrate U.S. Power Grid Hundreds of Times Daily

The Washington Post has reported that hackers have tried -- hundreds of times a day -- to tap into computer networks controlling the U.S. power grid. Although hackers so far have not caused serious damage to the grid, FERC Chairman Pat Wood has raised the issue publicly and cautioned top electric-company executives at a private meeting earlier this year to improve cyber-security. Fears that terrorists might seek to wage a cyber-attack on the U.S. power grid have escalated.

When asked of his reaction after witnessing a simulated hacker attack at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, Wood responded by stating "I wished I'd had a diaper on."

According to the article, the U.S. grid has become more vulnerable to attack since electric utilities transferred control of generation and distribution equipment to "supervisory control and data acquisition" (SCADA) systems that are accessible via the Internet or telephone lines.