Energy sector cyber resilience under the spotlight

Ofgem and the Government are looking at potential models to strength cyber security in the energy sector.

In a blog post they pointed out how the energy transition “brings great opportunity, but it also changes the risk landscape”.

“Recent cyber incidents demonstrate this, with organisations facing a spectrum of adversaries, from opportunistic attackers looking to leverage any vulnerability they find, to highly organised groups with strategic motives,” it said.

The post said a future energy system’s high interconnectivity can see a single vulnerability “rippling across the whole system” if successfully exploited by an attacker.

“Furthermore, attacks against an organisation in the energy sector have potentially far-reaching consequences.”

Measures being considered include baseline cyber resilience requirements for all Ofgem licensees, and targeted requirements for the most significant operators.