White House bans foreign-made bulk-power system equipment over cyber backdoor concerns

The Trump administration has issued an executive order banning the acquisition of foreign-made equipment used in bulk-power systems, citing risks of digital backdoors and supply-chain disruptions that could allow foreign governments to access critical infrastructure remotely.

The order covers technology managing energy transmission lines rated at 69,000 volts or higher, as well as substations, control rooms, power generating stations and reactors, along with associated software and firmware. It calls such equipment an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ and directs the Defence, Commerce and Energy Departments to oversee transactions and create a list of pre-qualified equipment and vendors.

The move follows a series of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, including incidents at water utilities in at least 12 states and a reported four-day shutdown of a small British power plant. Federal agencies have 120 days to draft regulations and identify at-risk equipment already in use.