This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Cybersecurity is on the top of every American's mind, but most feel powerless to prevent or respond to cyberthreats, either at home or globally — and one of the most serious threats could involve an attack on our power grid.
Without power, we would need to live without many of the things that we rely upon: water from our faucets, access to food and medicine, cash machines, lights and heating or cooling. Imagine: no internet, no television or radio. Air and train traffic would stop and, eventually, cars, too. Everything we depend upon is now equally dependent on technology and power to run, from the cash we collect from our ATMs, to the gas pumps that fill our cars, to the systems that dispense medicine at our pharmacies, to the switching and delivery systems that govern the movement of our goods and services across the country and in our neighborhoods.
Hacking of the power grid is a significant concern, but resignation is not the answer.
Self-reliance, preparedness and resilience have long been foundational qualities of our citizenry. And while cybersecurity may be the newest threat frontier, the fundamental mechanisms that we enlist to manage the unexpected, or even the potentially catastrophic, have not changed. These mechanisms are immutable and enduring.
In regions of the country that are often subject to the vagaries of nature — tornadoes, hurricanes, severe storms and earthquakes — most households regularly prepare for a disruption without giving the matter a second thought. Having extra water on hand, extra medicine, batteries and flashlights and even generators on hand are a matter of course in many households. For the most part, disruptions affect the power grid, the water supply, transportation and access to food stores and pharmacies for a period of time. Often households follow the "Red Cross Ready" plan, which is outlined on the redcross.org website, or FEMA.gov's "Plan and Prepare" steps.
And while a cyber-event could manifest itself in much the same way, we can recover from a natural disaster much more quickly than from a cyber-attack.
According to research conducted at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, a cyber-related critical infrastructure disruption would take far longer to remedy than even the catastrophic effects of Superstorm Sandy on the East Coast power grid. Personnel cannot be transported in to fix damaged computer systems with the same ease as restringing power lines and removing tree limbs. Our nation's utilities don't all use the same computer systems, so the bank of volunteer knowledge may not be there to import from other states.
The power grid in Ukraine was hacked twice this year, according to industry experts, and it has also been noted that foreign actors have been testing, and in some instances have successfully breached, the computer systems that control our critical infrastructure including water, power and chemical operations.
All Americans should take note of the customs seen throughout the state of Utah – be self-reliant, be prepared and be resilient. While I have not practiced the Mormon faith, I respect and applaud the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about preparedness. I believe that it applies every bit as much today as it did when it was articulated in the early days of the church — as Joseph Smith said, "prepare every needful thing."
The church-run website providentliving.org outlines these basic preparedness principles, which could well be adapted and expanded to include cybersecurity fundamentals.
Americans should be very concerned about cybersecurity and should turn that concern into action. Cybertheft of intellectual property costs Americans billions of dollars a year and, left unchecked, it could cost us our economic might. Our government has regularly been hacked — and we have yet to see how those acts will ultimately be exploited by the perpetrators. We need to engage from our board rooms to the halls of Congress to meet this threat, but it begins with our own households.
Heather Murren is a former member of the White House Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity.