The European Cybersecurity Framework for Critical Energy Infrastructures

This chapter attempts to describe and analyze the emerging European cybersecurity framework in the energy sectors. It uses the critical infrastructure protection framework to organize the analysis of the very wide and varied energy sector and to anchor it in the key European perspective on critical infrastructures protection and, more recently, the resilience of critical entities. Over the course of the chapter, we compare the existing European taxonomy to a more complete one developed by the authors, we formulate high-level conclusions about the challenging cybersecurity environment and the rapidly developing governance framework in the energy sector, and we present and describe key components of this framework. We conclude by formulating five recommendation covering key aspects of the critical infrastructure and cybersecurity framework in energy, including as it related to the EU’s exposure to the propagation of threats from beyond its borders.