Not all Smart Grid FUD is Created Equal

Depends were it comes from. In this case, I'd probably give the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and McAfee the benefit of the doubt, pardon the pun. Even if there's the slightest grain of truth in this statement, it is cause for concern for our side:

Because of tight government controls, China's own grid was ranked in the survey as the best protected from cyber attack. A strict regime of compulsory government inspections compares to a third of British critical infrastructure providers who said their network had never been audited by authorities.

Here's the article in Britain's Telegraph, the CSIS link, and the recent McAfee report at the heart of all this.

Remember, even if this info makes you worried, the right thing to do with that anxiety is to channel it into positive action that can enhance the protection of our grid systems through improvements to policy, planning, process, technology, etc. It's a common refrain on this blog but I repeat again, good work rarely gets done in the fetal position.

Image credit: Stephen Brace on Flickr.com