Yesterday, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced the Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act of 2017, legislation that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to issue a one-time report on significant security risks to the national electric grid and the effects of those risks on military readiness.

"As the global threats evolve and our adversaries continue to develop new ways to attempt to disrupt our military operations, it is important to recognize our key vulnerabilities," said Senator Tillis. "This bipartisan legislation will ensure defense leaders can identify and understand any vulnerabilities to our electrical infrastructure so we can protect DoD assets and installations from potential threats."

"The success of our military operations depends significantly upon maintaining a stable and secure electrical grid here at home," said Senator Warren. "This legislation would help address critical vulnerabilities in our electrical infrastructure to further strengthen our military readiness."

The Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act would require the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, to submit a report to Congress identifying significant cybersecurity risks to critical defense infrastructure, assessing the potential effects of such risks on the readiness of America's Armed Forces, evaluating the strategic benefits and challenges of isolating military infrastructure from the electric grid, and recommending a path forward to address these security risks.
 

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