Energy Secretary Rick Perry: Cyberattack on Power Grid of 'Great Concern' but There's Silver Lining 

WASHINGTON – There's perhaps no more serious threat to the United States than a crippling cyberattack on the country's power grid. Just ask Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, who tells CBN News it's of "great concern." 
 
"We're not where we were 10 years ago," Perry told CBN's Jenna Browder. "This is a completely different world we live in from the standpoint of how it's inner-connected."
 
A cyberattack on the United States power grid could shut off power to millions of Americans and leave the government scrambling. 
 
Perry says one factor, good and bad, is old infrastructure. 
 
"In one way that kind of protects it because you've got some old technology in there, you know, some old analog equipment," he explained. "On the other hand, you know, all the digital, the new types of technology that's there is vulnerable to a cyberattack." 
 
Another factor: Russia and other countries like North Korea, China and Iran looking to infiltrate everything from US power plants to elections. 
 
"The Russians have some thuggish behavior. There's not any doubt about that," Perry acknowledged. "I think we're finding the right balance between, if you cannot be a citizen of the world and act in an appropriate way, there's going to be some real punishments – but if you do, then we can find some ways to work together, to trade together, to help each other."

When it comes to North Korea, Perry believes President Donald Trump is "spot on" and "courageous" for carrying on conversations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. He says that if the administration can achieve its goal of denuclearization, the Department of Energy will play a key role because of its technical expertise. 
 
"If the president and Secretary (Mike) Pompeo and others are successful in getting North Korea to agree to denuclearize, the Department of Energy will play a substantial role in the verification side of it, of the deconstructing of any of the weapons and then the decommissioning and the disposal of as well," Perry explained.

Meanwhile, Perry suggests there's a silver lining to the threat the US power grid faces.

"We're vulnerable, but every place in the world is vulnerable," he said. "The good news is that our national labs, some of the smartest men and women in the world, are working on ways to defend, working on ways to both defensively and offensively deal with these individuals who would attack our grid."