[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/12551\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EGuardians of the grid \u2013 protecting Europe\u2019s electricity supply from cyber-attacks \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the past decade, cyber-attacks on Europe\u2019s power infrastructure have intensified so much that energy companies, experts and politicians called for help. Researchers came together to boost the resilience of European energy networks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe International Energy Agency\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iea.org\/commentaries\/cybersecurity-is-the-power-system-lagging-behind\u0022\u003Ewarned\u003C\/a\u003E in a November 2023 report that the average number of cyber-attacks against utilities worldwide more than doubled between 2020 and 2022. It singled out electricity grids, which are increasingly switching to digital technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe technologies now deployed along electric grids make them vulnerable to issues with communication and information technology,\u201d said Jes\u00fas Torres, an expert in smart grids at the Spanish technology centre CIRCE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDefending the grid\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETorres leads a multi-country research initiative called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101075665\u0022\u003EeFORT\u003C\/a\u003E that received EU funding to address the vulnerability of energy networks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers, energy companies and cybersecurity experts from Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, plus Norway and Ukraine, are exploring ways to increase the reliability and resilience of power grids as Europe transitions to a fully digital system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe grid now has a double nature,\u201d said Torres. \u201cIt\u2019s an electrical system, but it\u2019s also a cyber system. Everything is digitalised, with sensors that can both monitor and control the grid.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is why, since 2022, the eFORT team has been conducting simulations to understand how to protect electric grids from different kinds of cyber-attacks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimulating attacks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne particular area of concern is what Torres refers to as a \u201cmanipulation of demand\u201d attack, when multiple internet-connected energy devices, like charging points for electric vehicles, are tricked into sending misleading information to the power grid.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, the grid might receive data indicating a lower demand for electricity than actually exists.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThe technologies now deployed along electric grids make them vulnerable to issues with communication and information technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EJes\u00fas Torres, eFORT\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe grid is then not configured for the actual demand, and this can lead to outages,\u201d explained Torres.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers\u2019 simulations have shown that by targeting thousands of internet-connected devices, such attacks could trigger large-scale power cuts.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAI to the rescue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo counter attacks that corrupt information transmitted to the grid, the eFORT team is turning to artificial intelligence. The idea is to use algorithms to analyse grid communications and identify anomalies that signal potential issues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuick action is crucial once an attack is identified. In addition to shutting down affected grid elements, it may be necessary to isolate broader sections of the grid. By identifying these cascading effects, the eFORT researchers are designing targeted responses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey are testing techniques to identify, prevent and mitigate grid disturbances in Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and Ukraine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor instance, one Dutch pilot study includes a simulated control room where grid operators are trained to both defend against and emulate attacks, making them better able to manage threats.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI also plays a central role in the three-year EU-funded\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101021936\u0022\u003EELECTRON\u003C\/a\u003E project, which aims to make it possible to isolate grid sections to prevent the spread of attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ELECTRON team\u2019s mission is to develop new-generation electricity platforms that will constantly assess cyber risks, detect anomalies and prevent failures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGreek cybersecurity expert Andreas Zalonis, who coordinates this research, said that while there is often a financial motivation to these attacks, they can also be driven by a desire to destabilise society or create fear.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are a lot of different types of attack,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong with ransomware attacks, where money is demanded to restore systems, Zalonis explained that economic motivations for attacks can also lie in the financial damage they can cause.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor example, a power outage can have a significant financial cost for local companies, not just the energy and electrical system operators, and also for society,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThe overall goal is always to increase the resilience of the infrastructure.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EAndreas Zalonis, ELECTRON\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ELECTRON researchers hope to provide a series of tools to help European supply companies tackle cybersecurity issues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey are conducting four pilot studies, including one inspired by the 2015 hacking of a power distributor in western Ukraine, which left more than 230\u0026nbsp;000 people without power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother study looks at cybersecurity risks to the Romanian power grid, which is powered by a mix of hydropower, coal, nuclear energy, natural gas and wind power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe other two studies explore how to protect renewable energy supplies from cyber-attacks and test the resilience of an electric vehicle charging network in Greece.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ELECTRON researchers are looking at everything related to a cyber-attack, from identifying parts of the grid most vulnerable to attack, through detecting and responding to attacks, to recovery after attacks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI is again being used to detect threats by monitoring information flows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of these efforts, the researchers recently published information for electricity companies, highlighting the sort of communication anomalies that indicate someone might be interfering with the grid.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey are also distributing training materials, including attack scenarios, to help prepare those working on the grid. In addition, they are applying for patents for techniques that can be used to improve the security of electric vehicle charging points.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overall goal is always to increase the resilience of the infrastructure,\u201d said Zalonis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. 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