Washington, D.C. – Today, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on cybersecurity, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) highlighted the Idaho National Lab's (INL) ongoing efforts to deter cyber threats against the United States. Risch also questioned Andrew Bochman, INL's Senior Cyber and Energy Security Strategist, about ways to better protect our grid and other critical control systems. Click here or below to watch the exchange.

Above: Senator Risch speaking to INL's Andrew Bochman at Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing

Senators Risch and Angus King (I-ME) recently reintroduced the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act, legislation that utilizes the unique assets and expertise of our national laboratories to drive innovation as they re-examine critical infrastructure security. The bill aims to remove vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to access the energy grid through holes in digital software systems. Specifically, it would examine ways to replace automated systems with low-tech redundancies, like manual procedures controlled by human operators. This approach seeks to thwart even the most sophisticated cyber-adversaries who, if they are intent on accessing the grid, would have to actually physically touch the equipment, thereby making cyber-attacks much more difficult. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week held a legislative hearing on the bill. Click here to learn more.