Echo: Strengthening cyber resilience in the EU’s energy sector: Insights from the latest ENISA report

The recently published report on cyber resilience in the EU’s telecommunications and energy sectors provides the first comprehensive overview of the cybersecurity in these crucial areas. The report was developed in collaboration with EU Member States, the European Commission and ENISA (the EU Agency for Cybersecurity).

One of the most significant risks in telecommunications and energy lies in supply chains. These threats are particularly serious regarding the rollout of 5G technology and renewable energy infrastructure. Technical vulnerabilities, such as ransomware attacks, exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities and data wipers, also pose major concerns.

For the energy sector, the greatest risk stems from malicious insiders due to challenges in vetting personnel and the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. The telecommunications sector, on the other hand, faces threats from attacks through roaming infrastructures and large bot networks.

The report also highlights the physical sabotage of cable infrastructures and the complexity of mitigating satellite signal jamming as key challenges.

The report outlines recommendations across four main areas:

• Resilience and Cybersecurity: Enhancing ransomware mitigation, vulnerability monitoring, and asset management; promoting cooperation among CSIRTs, law enforcement, and international bodies.
• Cyber Situational Awareness: Improving information sharing, including assessments of geopolitical contexts and potential physical or disinformation threats.
• Contingency Planning and Crisis Management: Strengthening operational collaboration and shortening response times between sectors and cybersecurity authorities.
• Supply Chain Security: Conducting follow-up assessments on dependencies, especially regarding high-risk third-country providers, and developing an EU framework for managing supply chain risks.

My take: Check the security of the applications for the gadget managment, including solar panels, cooling units and heat pumps.

V slovenčine: Posilnenie kybernetickej odolnosti v energetike EÚ: Čo nám priniesla najnovšia správa?

Other sources: European Commission: Risk assessment report on cyber resilience on EU’s telecommunications and electricity sectors

Report on cyber resilience in the EU’s telecommunications and energy sectors