May 20, 2024 at 04:04PM
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association receives $4 million from the Department of Energy to launch Project Guardian, aimed at bolstering the cybersecurity posture of electric co-ops. The initiative will focus on self-assessment, threat analysis, cultivating cyber champions, and workforce development. Through this, they aim to protect the electric grid from evolving cyber threats.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has received $4 million from the Department of Energy to launch Project Guardian, aimed at enhancing the cybersecurity posture of electric cooperatives. This initiative will provide new tools to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats and attacks. Over a four-year period, the funding, authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as part of the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Program, will be managed by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).
Project Guardian will focus on four key areas:
1. Self-Assessment Framework: NRECA will revamp a self-assessment program to help electric co-ops understand their cybersecurity strengths and vulnerabilities, guiding them toward greater cyber maturity.
2. Threat Analysis Center: NRECA will disseminate program content to electric co-ops, including tabletop exercises, guidelines, on-ramp guides for TAC usage, threat advisories, and other critical information.
3. Cyber Champions: The project will cultivate co-op cyber champions responsible for sharing relevant information and updates to other electric co-ops within their region. They will establish communication channels and synchronize messaging related to cyberattack reporting and collaboration.
4. Workforce Development: The project team will catalog cybersecurity job roles and descriptions aligned with industry needs to help co-ops secure and retain a strong cybersecurity workforce.
NRECA, representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives, serves 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape and invests $15 billion annually in their communities.