The sources of renewable energy are particularly threatened by hybrid warfare. Ransomware and disinformation cyberattacks from state and non-state groups are usual to hurt the enemy without the violence of the battlefield.
The cyber attacks in Ukraine in 2014 and elsewhere since then have been a major wake-up call for the renewables sector. Some of the technologies used are relatively new and therefore most vulnerable. And, according to NATO, renewables are a clear objective, since they mean moving away from the Russian fossil fuels.
The Swedish company Jönköping Energi supplies 40% of the electricity around 186,000 people using hydroelectric, wind and solar energy. The facility is now collaborating with NATO on the Nordic Pine programme, designed to help participating nations prevent and respond to cyber attacks and other hybrid attacks.
NATO Nordic Pine exercise – Euronews
“Attackers are becoming more and more advanced. And I think a few years ago people could say, no, we are so small that they will not attack us. Nowadays, the system, the bots, etc., They can attack anyone“says independent security expert Anders Ahlgren. “If you leave your system open without any kind of firewall, it can take seconds before you are attacked, because They will find you“, he continues.
Attack electricity to create chaos
Ahlgren points out that the electricity dependency makes her very vulnerable to disturbances. “We can’t be without her. So in that case, you can greatly disrupt society by disrupting electricity“.
“And I think if you disrupt society, you’re also going to scare people: What’s going on? When are we going to have electricity again? So I think that’s a very, very good way to create disorder if you want,” he adds.
The Nordic Pine exercise has brought together the public and private sectors, as well as research institutions, to determine how they can Protecting new energy infrastructure against hybrid attacks.
Their main conclusion is that the challenges of Hybrid warfare and cyber attacks In particular, they are best addressed with prevention and preparation. To this end, the Communication between governments, military commandersthe private sector and the general public.
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