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Third of Americans Fear Russian Cyberattacks on US Electric Grid - Poll

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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A third of adults in the United States said they are afraid Russia may conduct cyberattacks on the US electric grid, a new poll by Protect Our Power and Survey Monkey revealed on Friday.

On Thursday, the US Department of Homeland Security said in a security alert that Russian cyber actors threaten the US energy sector network and other critical infrastructure sectors. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of malign cyber activity against the United States.

Thirty-three percent of the poll’s respondents answered in the affirmative when asked whether the recent news regarding Russia’s information cyber warfare is a precursor to Moscow initiating cyberattacks on the US electric grid.

READ MORE: New Round of US Sanctions Against Russia Over Alleged Election Meddling

Nineteen percent said they do not believe Russia intends to attack the US electric grid, while 48 percent said they do not know, according to the poll results.

"Our poll shows that the American people are increasingly aware of and concerned about the vulnerabilities of our electrical systems, and that’s why they’re asking the government to act more aggressively in addressing this urgent threat," Protect Our Power Executive Director Jim Cunningham said.

Moreover, 62 percent of the poll's respondents said they believe the US electric grid is vulnerable to a cyber or physical attack and an even higher percentage, 66 percent, said they are unprepared for an extended power outage.

READ MORE: NATO Military Chairman Claims Russia Meddled in NATO Internal Affairs

In addition, the poll revealed that 45 percent of respondents said they fear strained relations with North Korea would prompt Pyongyang to initiate cyberattacks on the US electric grid.

Eighteen percent of respondents said they do not fear North Korean cyberattacks, while 37 percent said they have no clear opinion on the matter, the poll results showed.

READ MORE: US House to Examine Power Grid Hacking Threat — Lawmaker

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