The United States is close to starting a two-year pilot program aimed at bolstering the security of the power grid by making use of analog technologies. The program is part of the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act (SEIA) that has already been approved by the Senate, but still needs to pass the House of Representatives.
The legislation aims to “examine ways to replace automated systems with low-tech redundancies, like manual procedures controlled by human operators.” These retro technologies could be used to isolate crucial power grid control systems in order to limit the consequences of a major power outage. The SEIA was inspired by the 2015 cyber attack on Ukraine that brought down a major part of the country’s power grid.
Read more: US wants to isolate power grids with ‘retro’ technology to limit cyber-attacks