North Carolina Substations Attacked

North Carolina Substations Attacked

Recent North Carolina substations were attacked. Since then, they have been labeled an act of domestic terrorism. Such critical infrastructure attacks demonstrate that operators need to have a plan in place and executed as these attacks are on the rise. Whether a GPS interruption via spoofing that affects air travel or gunshots to substations, these vulnerabilities are putting people, property, and our way of life at risk. Syncworks offers critical infrastructure solutions to guard against vulnerabilities that can take down your network. The latest attack on Sunday, December 4, 2022, in North Carolina was coordinated and intentional vandalism that has FBI North Carolina on the case. 

According to NPR News, the North Carolina substation attack sent the area into a state of emergency. A mass power outage left tens of thousands of people without electricity for days afterward. The outage, which the authorities believe to be intentionally caused by gunfire, is now being investigated as a criminal act. 

The incidents were being investigated by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Reuters reports that U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Twitter that she had been in contact with Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N), which owns the substations, and the Department of Energy was working with other agencies to investigate and respond.

aerial view of domestic terror attack on a North Caroline substation

Critical Infrastructure Need to be Fortified As Attacks Can Rise

“We faced something last night, here in Moore County, that we’ve never faced before,” the county’s sheriff, Ronnie Fields, said at a press conference on Sunday afternoon. “But I promise you, we are going to get through this, and we are going to get through this together.” 

The county was also under curfew between 9 p.m. on Sunday and 5 a.m. Monday. The county-wide curfew could remain in place for the next few days, according to the sheriff. The Moore County Parks and Recreation Sports Complex is now operating as a shelter while schools are closed for Monday. 

The mass power outage across Moore County, about an hour outside of Raleigh, began shortly after 7 p.m. on Saturday after multiple power substations were damaged by what authorities described in a statement as “intentional vandalism.” The substations will require a “sophisticated repair,” Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks said at the conference, which will require new equipment and could take until Thursday to complete. 

About Syncworks 

Proven on thousands of network sync and timing projects over the last two decades, Syncworks is a trusted partner because of our flawless execution. Every world-class sync solution from our tight-knit team is tailored for your success. New and retired products from Microchip, including the TimeProvider 4100, help ensure a flawless network.