Consistent and urgent need for action: The energy sector is the focus of state-backed operations aimed at destabilization and espionage, of cyber criminals who blackmail energy companies or of hacktivists who pursue ideological goals. The BSI has published a position paper on this.
A secure power supply is the basis of our social life - this was not only demonstrated by the blackout on the Iberian Peninsula, which lasted just under a day. Energy security is a central pillar of the German security architecture.
At the same time, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) classifies the threat to critical infrastructures from cyberspace as high.
BSI President: Disruption to the energy supply in Germany a nightmare scenario
The energy sector is a particular focus of state-supported operations aimed at destabilization and espionage, of cyber criminals who blackmail energy companies or of hacktivists who pursue ideological goals.
The BSI sees an urgent and consistent need for action. The BSI is now publishing a position paper that formulates the key challenges and fields of action for a robust cyber security strategy in the energy sector.
BSI President Claudia Plattner: "A successful disruption to the energy supply in Germany or Europe is a nightmare scenario for citizens, the German economy and government bodies. Social life would come to a standstill and the economic damage would be enormous. As geopolitical tensions have intensified, the motivations of potential attackers have also changed. We therefore urgently need to invest in security structures, technical protection measures and resilient architectures in order to secure our energy supply in the long term and minimize the risks of systemic failures."
In addition to the geopolitical situation, the position paper cites the increasingly decentralized energy supply, smart grids and digital control systems as well as the rapidly increasing complexity of networked systems as a challenge.
Additional attack vectors on hardware and software technology in the supply chain, the manipulation of energy infrastructures by manufacturers or third parties and so-called zero-day vulnerabilities in industrial control systems increase the threat situation.
Strengthening cybersecurity in the energy sector
The BSI therefore believes that, among other things, uniform requirements are needed in all KRITIS sectors and, building on this, for all players in the energy system.
Uniform, sector-specific security standards should also be developed and enforced for smaller energy suppliers, grid operators and decentralized systems, which do not fall short of cross-sector minimum requirements. Last but not least, regulatory powers and intervention competencies in the event of cyber incidents must be expanded. With its expertise, the BSI is available for a central management role for cyber security in the energy sector.
