New York (AFP)

The US administration on Tuesday unveiled a plan to improve the cybersecurity of its power grid amid growing concerns of large-scale hacking.

Presented by the White House and the Department of Energy, the initiative calls for a public-private partnership over the next 100 days to modernize the control systems of infrastructure most vulnerable to attack.

"The United States faces a sophisticated and growing cyber threat from malicious actors seeking to disrupt access to the electricity Americans need for their homes and businesses," said the Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm.

"It is the role of both government and the private sector to prevent possible damage and that is why we are working together to take these decisive steps so that Americans can count on a resilient, secure and flawless energy grid." , added the minister.

No specific funding was mentioned for this initiative, which is announced after numerous warnings from experts about the risks of cyber attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Late last year, a massive cyberattack against US government organizations and businesses emerged after hackers successfully infiltrated a platform of software publisher SolarWinds.

The United States, which accuses Russia of being behind the attack, recently announced retaliatory measures against Moscow.

In March, a group of Chinese-backed hackers exploited security vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Exchange Server business email service to hack into tens of thousands of U.S. organizations, including businesses, cities, and local communities.

Emily Horne, spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House, assures that the plan to protect the electricity network provides "ambitious but achievable objectives".

In addition, it "will help owners and operators to modernize their cyber defense skills, in particular by improving their capacities in terms of detection, reduction of risks and criminal investigations".

The administration says the plan encourages operators to switch to systems that provide "near real-time situational awareness" in the event of a cyberattack risk.

© 2021 AFP