The Department of Energy is asking Congress for $201 million in its budget request for the fiscal 2022 to address digital vulnerabilities after a steady uptick in overall general cyberattacks. The $201 million request, an increase from the previous $157 million in 2021, will help bolster the federal agency’s cybersecurity efforts and address any gaps in the supply chain and tech infrastructure.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that the department also needs the funding to upgrade software, hire more cybersecurity professionals and to develop new cyber policies and standards.
“As we have seen, the Colonial Pipeline incident made it clear that the fact that we do not have cyber standards on pipelines like we do on the electricity sector, that suggests a major hole,” Granholm said referencing a sweeping ransomware attack on the nation’s largest gasoline pipeline.
The increased investment in cybersecurity follows a steady drumbeat of ransomware attacks that have directly impacted Americans and interrupted logistics and services in the United States.