Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Updated Information About Malware Reported By Burlington Electric Department

Burlington Electric should be commended for acting on the notice from federal homeland security officials, as they were asked to do. Based on the additional information that has come to light since The Washington Post’s breaking news story on New Year’s Eve weekend, it appears that the Vermont utility followed proper procedures in investigating the incident and reporting what they found.

I am grateful that the initial news report was inaccurate and that the affected laptop of a Vermont utility was not connected to the power grid. This does not change the fact that we face serious threats to our critical infrastructure, and I will continue to do everything I can to protect Vermont and the rest of the country from cyber threats. I have asked my staff to request a briefing from federal agencies.

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