India's Electricity Grid To Be Insulated From Cyber Attacks Soon: Centre

India's power network will soon be more future-ready and insulated from cyber attacks with the provision of routine inspections and timely action under the Electricity Amendment Bill, Union Power Minister RK Singh said.

Now through the Electricity Amendment Bill 2022, the power ministry has made a provision for inspection of the national electricity grid for maintaining cyber hygiene in the network.

Talking to Press Trust of India, Mr Singh said, "We are facing cyber attacks on our power transmission system. We know from where those are emanating. We have provided (a safeguard) for that, which requires inspection regularly. We need to follow cyber hygiene."

"Therefore, we are empowering our central (national) load dispatch centre so that it can do inspections and give directions. We have one grid in the country and if there is some issue in one corner of the nation then the entire grid can collapse. That is why this provision is made."

The bill provides for amending section 26 of the Act so as to strengthen the functioning of the National Load Dispatch Centre for ensuring the safety and security of the grid and for the economic and efficient operation of the power system in the country.

Earlier this year in April, Mr Singh admitted that there were cyber attacks on the national power grid.

"These were probing attacks in December, January and February. They did not succeed. But we are aware," he had said.

According to the reports earlier this year, the hackers had targeted seven Indian state centres responsible for carrying out electrical dispatch and grid control near a border area.
 

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