"Sunburst" is a word that is keeping officials at the Department of Energy and executives at power companies up at night. In what appears to be one of the largest hacking attacks in modern history, hackers likely backed by a foreign government have penetrated the nation's power grid's security. While it is unclear how long the intrusion went undetected and which systems were compromised, the Sunburst attack has again made it clear that the nation's power infrastructure is vulnerable to interference and potential shutdown. For healthcare facilities, data centers, and other critical facilities, it is another reminder of the importance of reliable, industrial prime power to guard against a potential attack that shuts the power grid down.

Electrical Power Is a National Asset Under Threat

While these headlines focusing on Sunburst make it seem like these types of attacks are a new phenomenon, the reality is this is just the latest chapter in an ongoing tale. A quick glance back at January of 2020 shows that Dragos was warning of such threats for a long, long time. At that time, Dragos was warning that at least seven groups had the technical skill and advanced knowledge required to target the nation's electrical infrastructure.

Businesses Need To Bolster Security

There is little that private industry can do about the security lapses at the Department of Energy and power companies. However, there is plenty they can do to shield themselves against a potential attack on the nation's energy grid. First and foremost, installing an industrial prime power generator should receive high priority in the budget if it hasn't already.

While healthcare facilities and other critical industries are required to install and maintain standby generators, many businesses and industries are not under such regulatory requirements. However, this latest hacking effort shows in spades that even without regulatory requirements stipulating the need for an industrial prime power solution, it's something most businesses should invest in.

Cyber Security Matters

The sheer scale of the Sunburst attack shows significant vulnerabilities within state and federal agencies and large tech companies and other entities targeted in the hack. Like a beacon in the sky, it is a glaring reminder for healthcare facility operators, manufacturers, retail operators, warehouse managers, etc., of the importance of firewalls, investments in IT security, and protecting internal power solutions. For those entities who have industrial prime power solutions coupled with remote monitoring capabilities, the government's lapses are an overt reminder that it is a never-ending process to ensure power systems are safe and secure from intrusions by competitors or bad actors.

Contact Gen-Tech Power Generation Specialists at (800) 625-8324 for more information about the industrial prime power solutions we offer. It is our pleasure to tell you about the systems you can use to protect your business against a potential shut down of the power grid.