The unfortunate reality is that because of the critical nature of the technology and
the services that it provides, the grid becomes a prime target for acts of terrorism and cyberattacks. In January 2008,
a CIA analyst reported that hackers had attacked foreign utilities, turning out the lights in several foreign cities. Even
if the motivation behind a targeted attack on the energy infrastructure is not terror or disruption, the evolving threat
landscape dictates that the potential financial gains of such action can be alluring to the cybercriminal network.