Hydropower is one of the leading renewable sources for electricity generation, supplying 70% of all global renewable electricity. Hydropower offers not only clean energy but its infrastructure is also used for fresh water management, such as water supply, and flood management. The importance of hydropower has increased significantly in the past decade, leading to the adoption of innovative technology, advanced control systems, and stronger equipment.
When malicious attackers gain access to an industrial control system they are able to sabotage industrial control and safety processes, leading to costly outages, damaged turbines, threats to personnel safety and even environmental disasters. This is why NERC CIP and other industrial critical infrastructure cybersecurity regulations urge operators in the energy sector to thoroughly secure IT/OT interconnections in order to protect these high-risk access points against cyber terrorism and other attacks. The question is – how to achieve 100% protection from remote cyber threats?