Are you Compliant with the Executive Order Prohibiting
A Foreign Adversary into the US Power System?
The President of the United States has found that foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services, which store and communicate vast amounts of sensitive information. facilitate the digital economy. and support critical infrastructure and vital emergency services, in order to commit malicious cyber-enabled actions, including economic and industrial espionage against the United States and its people. I further find that the unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of information and communications technology or
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services designed, developed. manufactured. or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in information and communications technology or services, with potentially catastrophic effects, and thereby constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
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The President has further found that these same adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in the United States bulk-power system. which provides the electricity that supports our national defense. vital emergency services, critical infrastructure, economy, and way of life. The bulk-power system is a target of those seeking to commit malicious acts against the United States and its people, including malicious cyber activities. because a successful attack on our bulk-power system would present significant risks to our economy, human health and safety, and would render the United States less capable of acting in defense of itself and its allies.
Consistent with these findings he has determined that the unrestricted foreign supply of bulk-power system electric equipment constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, which has its source in whole or in substantial part outside the United States.
To deal with these threats, additional steps have been announced to protect the security. integrity, and reliability of information and communications technology and services provided and used in the United States. In light of these findings. a national emergency has been declared with respect to these threats and there is a prohibition against the any acquisition, importation, transfer. installation, dealing in, or use of any information and communications technology or service {transaction}. or any bulk-power system electric equipment {transaction} by any US entity.
The Department of Energy. in consultation with the Departments of Oefense and Homeland Security as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (and other agencies. as appropriate), is responsible for implementing the executive order. including issuing regulations within 150 days (by September 28, 2020).
Our subject matter expert (SME), Rusty Williams – VP Utility Markets Sales, is deeply steeped in network technology and its use in electric utility networks from his time at Southern Company and as an Officer at the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) – is available for further discussion if desired.