Utilities are embracing modernization efforts to increase efficiency and reliability and enable renewable energy. But there’s another trend utilities must account for: cyberattacks. Attacks in July of 2019 against the US and in December of 2015 against the Ukraine power grid proved that a cyberattack can take utilities offline, endangering lives and incurring significant financial costs. While various utilities are at different stages of grid modernization, they should always keep security as the top priority to reduce the risk of a cyberattack. Below, we overview both the challenges and a three-prong approach to ensuring the safety of today’s utility grid.
