Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Cybersecurity Funding

US Electric Cooperatives Awarded $15 Million to Expand ICS Security Capabilities

The US Department of Energy has awarded $15 million to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in an effort to help electric cooperatives expand their cybersecurity capabilities for industrial control systems (ICS).

The US Department of Energy has awarded $15 million to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in an effort to help electric cooperatives expand their cybersecurity capabilities for industrial control systems (ICS).

Specifically, electric cooperatives can use the money to identify and deploy cyber monitoring technologies for ICS. The money will be awarded over a period of three years, with $10 million disbursed in 2022 and the remaining amount over the next years.

NRECA represents nearly 900 local electric cooperatives in the United States, serving a combined 42 million Americans.

“As threats and threat actors evolve, electric cooperatives consistently work to improve their cyber defenses. Funding like this helps co-ops stay ahead of the curve,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson. “Our longstanding partnership with DOE makes the electric grid more resilient, reliable and secure.

Learn more about cybersecurity in the energy sector at

SecurityWeek’s ICS Cyber Security Conference

The most well-known cyberattacks aimed at energy providers were seen in Ukraine, where sophisticated threat actors used complex malware and other techniques to target ICS and cause — or attempt to cause — disruption and damage.

In addition, profit-driven cybercriminals have been known to target electric utilities around the world, including in the United States and Europe, but these attacks targeted IT systems and did not impact ICS.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Related: House Passes Cybersecurity Bills Focusing on Energy Sector, Information Sharing

Related: Domain Name Security Neglected by U.S. Energy Companies

Related: North Korea’s Lazarus Targets Energy Firms With Three RATs

Written By

Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is a managing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher for two years before starting a career in journalism as Softpedia’s security news reporter. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering.

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Learn how the LOtL threat landscape has evolved, why traditional endpoint hardening methods fall short, and how adaptive, user-aware approaches can reduce risk.

Watch Now

Join the summit to explore critical threats to public cloud infrastructure, APIs, and identity systems through discussions, case studies, and insights into emerging technologies like AI and LLMs.

Register

People on the Move

Matthew Cowell has assumed the role of VP of Strategic Alliances at Nozomi Networks. He previously served in the same role at Dragos.

Bret Arsenault is retiring from his full-time role after 35 years at Microsoft.

Social engineering defense platform Doppel has appointed Bobby Ford as Chief Strategy and Experience Officer.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest cybersecurity news, threats, and expert insights. Unsubscribe at any time.