Power grid operators must now monitor cyber threats inside their physical security systems

US regulators just approved a new rule that forces power grid operators to monitor for cyber threats inside their internal networks. This means they must now extend their cyber surveillance to systems that control physical access, like electronic gates and monitoring cameras.

For years, cyber security for critical infrastructure focused on keeping external threats out. This new rule shifts the focus to what happens once an attacker is already inside the network, or if an internal system itself is compromised. It means that the physical security of a power plant is now explicitly linked to its cyber security, forcing operators to integrate these two previously separate domains.