Dive Summary:
- Former U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) envisions a cyberattack that takes out the North American power grid in a book he co-wrote, "Gridlock," which was published in July.
- The novel's premise—in which, according to the New York Times, Iran and Venezuela team up with a rogue Russian spy "to destroy the United States"—may sound a little far-fetched to some, but Dorgan believes such a cyberattack is possible.
- “I think that we are vulnerable, and it’s not just me, it’s the National Science Foundation and a number of people in the energy industry. ‘Glass jaw’ is a pretty good description of the grid system, honestly,” Dorgan says. “It’s entertaining, it’s a thriller, but I hope it will get people to think about this some.”
From the article:
“That’s my little niche, North Dakota energy thriller,” said Mr. Dorgan, a Democrat who represented North Dakota in the Senate and House for more than three decades.
But life is increasingly imitating Mr. Dorgan’s potboiler. More than 200 utilities and government agencies across the country, from Consolidated Edison to the Department of Homeland Security to Verizon, are now expected to sign up for the largest emergency drill to test the electricity sector’s preparation for cyberattack. The drill, scheduled for November, will simulate an attack by an adversary that takes down large sections of the power grid and knocks out vast areas of the continent for weeks.
