Europe's prominent energy and cybersecurity organisations, including the Association of European Distribution System Operators (E.DSO), the European Energy Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (EE-ISAC), the European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS), and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), convened the 8th Cybersecurity Forum in Brussels. This significant event tackled the continent’s emerging power grid security challenges.
The gathering drew over 200 participants from the European Commission, national regulators, distribution and transmission system operators, alongside the wider energy and cybersecurity community. It provided a forum to discuss the impact of new EU frameworks such as the NIS2 Directive, Network Code on Cybersecurity (NCCS), and Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) on securing Europe's increasingly digital and decentralised energy grids.
Security of consumer-energy technologies
Key figures from the Forum, including Charles Esser of E.DSO, Aurelio Blanquet from EE-ISAC, ENCS’s Anjos Nijk, and Dimitra Liveri from ENISA, welcomed attendees.
Rémy Garaude-Verdier, from Enedis and E.DSO, underscored the critical need for a unified response to protect Europe’s interconnected electricity networks, likening the grid to a nervous system: “Keep one idea in mind: if the grid is a nervous system, our routines are its reflexes.”
Effective protection strategies
Highlighted during the talks was the need to translate regulatory measures into effective protection plans
Highlighted during the discussions was the necessity to translate regulatory measures into effective protection strategies. ENCS conducted a live demonstration revealing potential vulnerabilities in common consumer-energy technologies such as EV chargers and home batteries.
It was collectively recognised that as these technologies expand to substantial controllable capacities by 2030, cybersecurity must be embedded from inception through to deployment.
Cybersecurity challenges and opportunities
Fabrice Comptour of the European Commission highlighted that Europe's move towards clean energy introduces both new risks and opportunities. He pointed out that: “Cybersecurity is not only a box to tick or a programme, but a mindset or even a mission.”
Similarly, Veli-Pekka Saajo of Energiavirasto stressed the intricate nature of cybersecurity threats affecting energy markets, politics, and sectors, pressing the need for cross-sectoral collaboration.
Risk management and collaborative response
Two panels discussed the harmonisation of standards, enhancement of information sharing, and reinforcement of coordination among operators, regulators, and suppliers. Panellists from the European Commission, World Bank, ENISA, CEN/CENELEC, SolarPower Europe, and EASE called for a unified approach to risk management and response strategies.
Michaela Kollau of DG Energy closed the Forum by affirming that Europe's energy grid resilience hinges on collective efforts to enforce existing legislation and adopt best cybersecurity practices in the energy sector.
Understand how converged physical and cybersecurity systems can scale protection.
