New energy bill has cybersecurity repercussions
The new energy bill signed into law by President Bush this week is expected to have the greatest impact on IT departments at power companies because it allows federal enforcement of upcoming cybersecurity standards, according to industry IT executives and other experts. Under the new law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has the authority to establish a national electric reliability organization with the power to oversee and audit reliability standards. Instead of developing its own standards, the FERC plans to adopt those set by the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), said Ellen Vancko, a spokeswoman for the organization. Full Story