On October 6, APGA staff and several members of the Security Task Group participated in a threat briefing. This event was organized by the American Gas Association (AGA), who were gracious in extending the invitation to their public natural gas utility colleagues. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing and Analysis Center (DNG-ISAC), and the Department of Energy (DOE) provided unclassified information based on analyst reports from Region VIII, which includes Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Utah. While the details did come from the Rocky Mountain and upper Midwest states, all the participants were able to glean valuable intel.
The discussions included an overview of ongoing protections against foreign state actors that could intrude into the November elections, as well as unclassified details on pipeline threats, such as the cybersecurity risk of ransomware. APGA’s Board of Directors recognized the need for a focus from the association on pipeline physical and cybersecurity threats earlier this year and resolved to develop a Security Task Group. Participating in this threat briefing is just one of the many activities for that team, ensuring public natural gas utilities are taking the appropriate steps to protect their assets.
If you are interested in being a part of the Security Task Group, have questions on their activities, or want to know more about this article, please contact Stuart Saulters of APGA staff by phone at 202-544-1334 or by email at
ssaulters@apga.org.