WILL CHANGE RUSSIA'S BEHAVIOR.
CHARLES: THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN MEANWHILE
GROWING CONCERN OVER WHETHER THE
U.S. HAS ACTUALLY PREPARED TO
RESPOND IF OUR POWER GRID IS
COMPROMISED, TO CYBERSECURITY
EXPERT MORGAN WRIGHT.
IRONICALLY I THINK I READ ONE OF
THE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE GOING
FOR US IS OUR GRID IS SO OLD IT
MIGHT NOT BE SMART ENOUGH TO BE
COMPROMISED.
>> YEAH, LOOK, ALL YOU HAVE TO
DO CHARLES IS WATCH A NATURAL
DISASTER AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR
POWER GRID IS STILL FRAGILE.
WE'RE DOING A LOT BETTER AT
PROTECTING IT BUT IT'S THE
ANALOGY OF SAYING WELL I CAN GO
TWO ROUNDS WITH MIKE TYSON BACK
IN THE DAY.
WELL YOU STILL CAN'T GO 15.
WE'VE GOT TO GO THE FULL 15
ROUNDS AND SURVIVE A DIRECT
LOOK RUSSIA HAS BEEN USING
UKRAINE AS THEIR PUNCHING BAG SO
OUR LESSONS WE NEED TO LEARN IS
WATCH WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE
UKRAINE RIGHT NOW.
CHARLES: I REMEMBER IT WASN'T
LONG AGO WHEN WE HAD A MAJOR
POWER OUTAGE IN THE NORTHEAST
CAUSED BY A SMALL INCIDENT IN
CANADA, SO IT STANDS TO REASON
WE'RE EXTRA ORDINARILY
VULNERABLE AND WE'VE BEEN
VULNERABLE FOR A LONG TIME.
WHY DON'T WE FIX THIS?
>> WELL YOU KNOW IF YOU LOOK AT
THE PATCHWORK THAT IS CALLED THE
ENERGY GRID, I MEAN IT'S A
COLLECTION OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT
THINGS A LOT OF DIFFERENT POWER
STATIONS A LOT OF DIFFERENT
TECHNOLOGIES.
THEY'RE TRANSITIONING TRYING TO
MAKE THINGS MORE NETWORK-
ORIENTED BUT THAT BRINGS
ITS OWN PROBLEMS BECAUSE NOW WE
CONNECT OLDER SYSTEMS TO NETWORK
TECHNOLOGY AND THAT'S ONE OF THE
FLAWS THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF
THEY ATTACKED THESE CABLES THAT
CONNECTED THE POWER SYSTEMS TO
THE COMPUTER NETWORKS AND
PHYSICALLY DAMAGED THEM SO YEAH
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK WE STILL
HAVE TO DO BUT THE BIGGEST THING
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT
RECOVERY PIECE.
WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET
ATTACKED THE QUESTION IS HOW
FAST CAN WE RECONSTITUTE OR
RECOVER OUR ENERGY BECAUSE IF
YOU WANT TO GO AFTER A NATION AS
WAS DEIRDRE WAY SAYING GO AFTER
THEIR POWER AND WATER AND YOU
CAN BRING A NATION TO ITS KNEES.
CHARLES: WOULDN'T IT BE SMARTER
TO BEEF UP OUR DEFENSES RATHER
THAN FIGURING OUT A WAY TO
REBOOT THIS AGED SYSTEM WE HAVE
THIS PATCHWORK WE'VE ALREADY GOT
>> THAT COULD BE PART OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING WE KEEP
THINKING OF BRIDGES AND TUNNELS.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE, WHAT
REALLY AFFECTS US ARE THINGS
LIKE OUR INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND
OPM BREACH.
ALL OF THESE AGING
INFRASTRUCTURESES INCLUDING THE
ENERGY ONE.
WE'VE GOT TO SPENT AN EQUIVALENT
AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BEEF UP OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE DO YOU
KNOW WHY WE'VE GOT AUTONOMOUS
VEHICLES COMING AND IF WE CAN'T
PROTECT THE ENERGY GRID HOW DO
WE PROTECT UNMANNED VEHICLES
BOUNCING AROUND THE 101 LIKE A
BUNCH OF PINBALLS.
CHARLES: IT'S A GLARING ISSUE
EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM HERE?
IS IT MONEY AND I'M SURE IT IS
AND ULTIMATELY WHERE DOES IT
COME FROM WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY
IS IT?
IS IT LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY?
IS IT A FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY
AND WHAT ROLE DOES PRIVATE
BUSINESS HAVE WITH RESPECT TO
PUTTING IN MONEY INTO THIS
SOLUTION?
>> I THINK MILTON FREEMAN SAID
THERE'S NO SUCH AS AS A FREE
LUNCH AT THE END OF THE DAY BUT
85% OF THE CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE IS OWNED BY THE
PRIVATE SECTOR BUT IT STILL
NEEDS GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP
CERTAIN THINGS AROUND MANDATES
YOU DON'T WANT UNFUNDED MANDATES
SO THERE HAS TO BE PARTNERSHIP
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S THE
BEST THING THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO
DOING IT THROUGH INFORMATION
SHARING ANALYSIS CENTER BUT
SHARING THAT INTELLIGENCE DOING
A BETTER JOB OF PREPARING US BUT
LOOK IT WILL NOT BE SOLVED
OVERNIGHT BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME
REGULATION, IT WILL TAKE SOME
MONEY BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY
WHOSE GOING TO PAY FOR IT ARE
YOU AND ME, THAT'S THE COST OF
DEFENSE AND GOES INTO KEEPING
THE LIGHTS ON.
CHARLES: ALTHOUGH I'D RATHER PAY
FOR THAT THAN A BUNCH OF
WINDMILLS.
LET ME REAL QUICKLY ASK YOU THIS
RUSSIA HAS THE CAPABILITY I'M
SURE OR GETTING THERE SO DOES
CHINA.
DO ANY ROGUE ACTORS HAVE THAT
ABILITY NOW IF THEY WANTED TO TO
TURN OFF LIGHTS AROUND THIS
COUNTRY?
>> YEAH, CHARLES I WAS IN A
DOCUMENTARY CALLED TRUE IRAN AND
WE TALKED ABOUT THE CYBER THREAT
OF IRAN AND THEY WERE UP IN NEW
YORK AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY TAKE OVER
THAT ACCEPT FOR EXCEPT FOR A
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHICH
DISCONNECTED THE NETWORK SO WE
ALREADY KNOW IRAN IS ACTING IN
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL.
NORTH KOREA WE'LL SEE IF THIS
OVER CHURR IS GOING TO MAKE AN
EFFECT ON THEM BUT THEY'RE THE
PLAYERS I WORRY ABOUT THOSE FOUR
ARE THE ONES I WORRY ABOUT.