National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

JACKSON, MS— October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Commissioner Brent Bailey reminds businesses and utility operators that cybersecurity protection planning and deployment should be at the forefront of any operations review to protect against cyber-based threats.

Over the last few decades, rapid advancements in technology have transformed the energy sector, especially electricity, and the pace of the change is not slowing down. Cybercriminals don’t just target personal data anymore. They now pursue the ability to shut down critical national infrastructure and create physical consequences for utilities and customers as critical infrastructure operations become more integrated.

“Cyberattacks are increasingly advanced and more widespread than they have ever been,” Commissioner Bailey said. “As Commissioners, we all play a key role in keeping critical infrastructure cyber secure. I am proud to have seat on the NARUC Critical Infrastructure Committee. This Committee makes cybersecurity one of its top priorities within the energy and utility sectors, allowing our nation to retain a safe, secure and reliable energy network.”

One of Commissioner Bailey’s weekly newsletters in February 2021— Cybersecurity and State Regulatory Commissions — provides an overview on cybersecurity in the utility world and explores how state regulatory commissioners can implement cybersecurity in their work programs to complement existing regulatory functions.

“Our outreach focuses on how the advancements in technology and increased access points to operating systems requires companies to be proactive in the protection of critical infrastructure,” Commissioner Bailey said. “The key message is that businesses, operators and regulators of all types and sizes, must understand cyber-based risks and how to defend against them.”