Cybersecurity
Trump's Coal, Nuke Push Pegged to Security Threats to Gas Pipes
- On-site fuel storage makes coal, nuclear generator less risky
- Malicious hackers step up proficiency in finding weak spots
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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U.S. President Donald Trump, who made saving mining jobs an earmark of his campaign, is pointing to natural gas’s vulnerability to hackers as justification for bailing out struggling coal-fired and nuclear power plants.
Gas-fired power generators are more vulnerable to cyber attacks than coal plants and nukes because gas must be delivered from remote fields via pipelines, according a draft report by the department. Coal and nuclear plants, on the other hand, keep fuel stored on site, eliminating a potential weak point that could be targeted by malicious hackers.