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Yet weaknesses remain. The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline exposes gaps in companies’ cyber-armour. It also reveals the idea that shale oil might guarantee energy security to be a fallacy. Oil may be fungible but oil infrastructure is not, notes Michael Tran of RBC Capital Markets. America’s north-east is particularly exposed to attack, Mr Tran says. A dearth of local refineries makes the region dependent on pipelines and tankers for oil products.
但弱點(diǎn)依然存在。Colonial Pipeline輸油管道的關(guān)閉暴露出各大企業(yè)存在網(wǎng)絡(luò)防護(hù)上的漏洞。這也揭示了頁(yè)巖油可能保障國(guó)家能源安全的觀點(diǎn)是一種謬論。加拿大皇家銀行資本市場(chǎng)的邁克爾·特蘭指出，石油也許是可替代的，但石油基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施卻不可或缺。特蘭表示，美國(guó)東北部的石油基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施系統(tǒng)尤其容易受到攻擊。當(dāng)?shù)責(zé)捰蛷S的缺乏使美國(guó)東北部依賴于輸送石油產(chǎn)品的管道和油輪。
The federal government’s cyber-defences are imperfect, too. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the agency charged with criticising other agencies, has found cyber-security a particularly rich subject. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is supposed to help safeguard oil and gas pipelines; in 2019 the GAO identified “factors that limit the usefulness of TSA’s risk assessment”. In March the GAO reported that the Department of Energy’s plans for cyber protection “do not fully address risks to the grid’s distribution systems”, leaving big cities vulnerable.
聯(lián)邦政府的網(wǎng)絡(luò)防御也同樣存在漏洞。以評(píng)判其他機(jī)構(gòu)為職能的美國(guó)政府問(wèn)責(zé)辦公室（GAO）發(fā)現(xiàn)，網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全這個(gè)話題大有文章。美國(guó)運(yùn)輸安全管理局（TSA）應(yīng)該幫助防護(hù)石油和天然氣管道；2019年，GAO確定了“限制TSA風(fēng)險(xiǎn)評(píng)估實(shí)用性的因素”。今年3月，GAO報(bào)告稱，能源部的網(wǎng)絡(luò)保護(hù)計(jì)劃“沒(méi)有完全解決輸油網(wǎng)絡(luò)運(yùn)輸配送系統(tǒng)的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)”，大城市仍然不堪一擊。
Worryingly, cyber-attacks may increase in number and ambition. Hackers are using ransomware to infiltrate larger companies and seek higher payments. Their average ransom payment has roughly doubled over the past year, according to Coveware, a tracking firm. Furthermore, changes to the electricity system may, without sufficient planning, make it more vulnerable. As more devices are connected to the internet, hackers have a larger number of targets. As more cars run on electricity rather than combustion, a blackout can wreak broader damage.Andas transmission lines connect distant power systems, helping to balance intermittent wind and solar power, a problem in one grid can have an impact on another.
令人擔(dān)憂的是，網(wǎng)絡(luò)攻擊可能會(huì)變得多發(fā)，黑客們的狼子野心也會(huì)愈加膨脹。黑客正在利用勒索軟件入侵更大的公司以謀求更高的報(bào)酬。根據(jù)追蹤公司Coveware的數(shù)據(jù)，大型公司的平均贖金支付額在過(guò)去一年里大約翻了一番。此外，在沒(méi)有充分規(guī)劃的情況下，電力系統(tǒng)的變革可能會(huì)使黑客攻擊更易發(fā)生。隨著越來(lái)越多的設(shè)備接入互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，黑客的目標(biāo)也越來(lái)越多。隨著越來(lái)越多的汽車依靠電力驅(qū)動(dòng)，而不再燃燒汽油，停電會(huì)造成更大規(guī)模的損害。隨著輸電線路連接遠(yuǎn)距離電力系統(tǒng)以幫助平衡間歇性的風(fēng)能和太陽(yáng)能，一個(gè)電網(wǎng)的問(wèn)題也會(huì)對(duì)另一個(gè)電網(wǎng)產(chǎn)生影響。
These challenges are not unique to America. But they pose a particular headache for President Joe Biden, who is trying to win support for climate proposals in his $2trn infrastructure bill. Limiting climate change and fighting cyberthreats are hardly mutually exclusive endeavours. Mr Biden must make a credible case that he can make America’s energy system both greener and more secure.
這些挑戰(zhàn)并非美國(guó)獨(dú)有。但對(duì)于試圖贏得2萬(wàn)億美元基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施法案中氣候提案的支持的拜登來(lái)說(shuō)，這些挑戰(zhàn)尤其傷腦筋。限制氣候變化和對(duì)抗網(wǎng)絡(luò)威脅的努力并不互斥。拜登必須提出一個(gè)可信的理由，證明他能夠使美國(guó)的能源系統(tǒng)更加環(huán)保和安全。
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