Network Integrity Systems Article Promotes Fiber Optic Sensing Technology

NetworkIntegrity SystemsArticle

PromotesFiberOptic SensingTechnology

Attacksonsubstationsarebecomingmorefrequentacrossthe country,creatingnewdiscussionsabouthowtoprotectthenation's electricalgridfrombecomingacriticalinfrastructurecrisis.

Thearticlebeginsbylookingbackten yearsagoonhowthePacificGasand ElectricPowersubstationwas attackedinSanJose,California, nearlycausingcatastrophicdamageto thearea.

Attackersenteredthefacilityundetected,firingrifleshotsat thestation'stransformers.

Becausethestationwasonlyequippedwith remotealarmsandnothighersecurity protection,authoritiesonlyreceived informationthatthetransformerswere overheating,leadingresponderstoarrive almostanhouraftertheattackwasover.

Fastforwardto2022,andsimilarattackscontinuein Oregon,Washington,andNorthCarolina.

Theseattackshaveresultedin widespreadpoweroutages lastingfordays,leadingto catastrophicdamages.

AccordingtoNIS,fiberopticsensingtechnologycouldhave preventedtheseattacks.

InstallingNIS'sensoraroundthe substation'sperimeterwouldhave detectedtheperimeterbreach, whichallowedtheescalationofthe attack.

IntheMetcalfcase,theintrudersbegantheattackbyenteringan undergroundcommunicationsvaultandcuttingthecable;NIS'solutions wouldhavedetectedthatinitialintrusionallowingauthoritiestorespondand thwarttheattack.

AnexcerptfromtheNetworkIntegritySystems articlereads,"Notonlywouldtheseveredcables haveresultedininstantalarms,butthemereactof handlingthecablestomakethecutswouldhave beendetected."Withtheimplementationoffiber opticsensingtechnology,attacksmadeon

AnexcerptfromtheNetworkIntegritySystemsarticle reads,

"Notonlywouldtheseveredcableshaveresulted ininstantalarms,butthemereactofhandlingthe cablestomakethecutswouldhavebeen detected."Withtheimplementationoffiberoptic sensingtechnology,attacksmadeonsubstations canbeneutralized.