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At Schneider Electric, the fusion of digital and electric epitomizes sustainability. As my previous post explained, electricity is a cornerstone of industrial cybersecurity and sustainability convergence.
Digital/smart grids make an invaluable contribution to improving our environment by reducing carbon emissions associated with electricity production while increasing reliability and security in our energy supply systems. Embracing digital technologies creates opportunities for greater operational efficiency, better user experiences, and sustainable solutions. However, this larger digital footprint also brings greater risk, underscoring the importance of cybersecurity for smart grids.
Cyberthreats in electric utilities
Cybersecurity has become increasingly important for electric utilities due to grid digitization and more frequent attacks on critical national infrastructures. A rapid increase in connection points from distributed energy resources (DERs), electric vehicles (EVs), mobile workforces, and the cloud exposes electric utilities to an expanding risk surface area.
Like most industries, the utility sector is not immune from being targeted, and companies today recognize that future attacks are a matter of ‘if’ rather than ‘when.’ An analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) found that the number of cyberattacks on utilities rose steadily between 2020 and 2022, with the number of weekly cases more than doubling in three years to 1,101.
Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure have increased, causing disruptions like service shutdowns, data breaches, and control system failures. According to a recent study, nearly one-third of respondents reported six or more intrusions in the past year, a notable increase from previous years. Many of these resulted in substantial financial losses due to ransom demands and critical repairs. These attacks highlight the importance of adopting proactive cybersecurity measures to safeguard utility operations and ensure system reliability and human safety. To protect against sophisticated cybersecurity threats, utility companies must adopt proactive and comprehensive strategies. It is critical to adhere to industry best practices and standards.
Five ways to address smart grid cyber threats
Utility companies and critical infrastructures often combine old and new technologies. Legacy technology was designed with something other than today’s security concerns in mind; newer and more advanced technology is key for tapping into the benefits of digitalization. However, integrating old and new technologies also increases the need to manage cybersecurity risks efficiently. As IT and OT networks converge, new vulnerabilities are introduced as industrial control systems (ICS) become more interconnected. Requirements for remote access and connections to third-party systems also introduce security risks, as attackers can exploit these pathways if not properly secured.
When taking our customers through the journey to improve their cybersecurity posture, to simplify it, we talk about the risk management strategy and cybersecurity best practices, which are broken into five attributes:
- Determine the organizational governance to build out the work program. Who are the key stakeholders and the teams responsible for the outcomes?
- Implement robust cybersecurity frameworks, such as aligning with industry mandates (e.g., ISA/IEC 62443, NIST, ISO 27001) and local regulations, such as the AESCSF program and NIS2 Directive.
- Gather relevant information, such as critical asset inventory, vulnerabilities, where threats are likely to occur, the impact, etc., and the right partners to support you.
- Implement appropriate technology using a defense-in-depth approach and collaborate with a partner who understands your environment to design the architecture with the supporting technologies to secure operations.
- Design and implement incident response capabilities using Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service.
Long-term and extended benefits of cybersecurity investments
While the initial investment in advanced cybersecurity technologies might appear substantial, the long-term benefits are significant, including:
- Enhanced protection
- Aiding the transition towards a sustainable and net-zero future
- Efficiency gains through automation and unique key allocations
Facility managers can now pursue an efficiently managed path toward green innovations and a digitally secure future. This multifaceted approach, blending industry best practices with advanced technology, positions utility companies to effectively counter sophisticated cybersecurity threats.
This forward-thinking approach helps ensure that the utility sector is well-prepared to address the challenges of an ever-evolving cyber threat landscape and secure a sustainable and resilient future.
However, the energy sector is in an especially tricky position, partially because of its ongoing evolution and heavy dependence upon other industry segments to electrify and achieve sustainability goals first.
Even organizations with strong security postures will need to consider that the sector is in cybercriminals’ crosshairs—this means their defenses are only as strong as the security of their suppliers and partners.
Across entire supply chains, employees are vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated social engineering and other cyber-crime tactics. Processes and systems should be built assuming that a breach will occur somewhere sometimes.
As we navigate the convergence of digitalization and electrification for a sustainable future, securing our smart grids is more critical than ever. Find out more about our cybersecurity services and how we can work with you to protect your infrastructure from evolving threats.
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