WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Energy Department said it was investing more than $10 million on advanced computer technology to make the nation's energy grid more secure.
Patricia Hoffman, assistant secretary of energy reliability, said advanced sensors and monitoring devices will help providers "make decisions that may prevent power outages before they happen and adeptly respond to changing grid conditions without disruption."
The $10 million in investments across five states -- California, Hawaii, Missouri, North Carolina and Washington -- targets technology that in some instances gives utility companies data feedback at a rate 100 times faster than conventional technology, the department said Wednesday.
On cybersecurity strategies, the Energy Department said it's invested more than $100 million between 2010-13.
Cybersecurity is emerging as a new national security priority. Early this year, Russian Internet security company Kaspersky Lab said an attack dubbed The Mask, malware targeting government institutions, energy companies, and other high-profile agencies, may be state-sponsored.
