Cyber czar: Power companies need to watch their backs

President Obama's top cybersecurity official said utilities must pinpoint security gaps in their electricity delivery systems on a regular basis.

The Energy Department, in cooperation with the White House, Homeland Security Department and power companies, this month is expected to test a voluntary reporting model that assesses an individual utility's security posture to identify where safeguards are needed most. As of March 30, the Office of Management and Budget was finalizing information collection procedures for the trial. The nation's energy sector must perform "active risk management performance evaluations, continuous monitoring, exercises and simulations to determine on a regular basis how we're doing," White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt told industry and government leaders at McAfee's annual public sector conference.