Case Studies in Energy

The trend of digitalizing energy installations and power grids globally is growing to improve control, security, and operational efficiency. According to a report published by the International Energy Agency [31], the number of intelligent and connected devices on the global energy and power grids will rise to 30 and 40 billion by 2025. However, smart grids, which are electrical grids that rely on digital systems for control and monitoring [43], alongside energy systems operated and monitored using online and digital systems, are more vulnerable to cyberattacks as witnessed in the EU, where ransomware attacks targeting energy installations in 2022 stood at 21 cases by October of the same year [33]. Ransomware attacks on energy installations such as nuclear power plants, wind turbine farms, and hydroelectric power grids are currently one of the most concerning trends in cybersecurity.