The Department of Energy doesn't think utilities are doing enough about cybersecurity and the vulnerability of the nation's infrastructure. Even though national cybersecurity legislation has been stalled in Congress by partisan wrangling, the agency wants utilities to take actions on their own as reported by NetworkWorld. . We've listed some of the recommendations below. After reviewing them, please vote in in the Quick Poll and/or use the Talk Back comment form.

Among the recommendations:

      ·  Set up a cybersecurity governance board

      ·  Appoint a Chief Security Officer who reports to the company's board of directors

      ·   Develop a cybersecurity strategy

      ·   Recruit a new VP of cybersecurity to execute that strategy

      ·   Share data about threats, attacks and solutions with other utilities

.

The DOE promises to act as a clearinghouse for the data sharing. The recommendations are part of the DOE's just-released "Electricity Subsector Cybersecurity Capabilities Maturity Model." And they are bolstered by research from Carnegie Mellon and IBM, as Andy Bochman explains in this blog.

.

Our advice to utilities: Get serious about security now. Unless the industry can demonstrate that it is regulating itself safely, it will become a target for federal oversight.

.

Download the Maturity Model >>

.

Related stories…

White House considers executive order after failed cyber security legislation

Cyber attacks against infrastructure jump 17-fold warns National Security Agency

And from the SGN Research Marketplace…

Methods and Practices: Creating a Metrics-Based Security Culture -- This IDC