The modern age of renewable energy has seen a surge in solar panels and wind turbines. While these systems enhance sustainability, their digital technologies carry risks. Cybersecurity professionals must know the relevant nuances when integrating renewable systems.
How Solar Energy Is Vulnerable to Outside Attacks
Recent incidents have demonstrated the importance of cybersecurity for power grids. There are three primary ways that solar energy is vulnerable to outside threats:
1. Inverters
The primary infiltration location for solar energy is the inverters. These tiny devices convert the harnessed power into Alternating Current (AC) electricity and allow the owners to access it remotely. This feature is helpful for monitoring, though it opens opportunities for attacks.
If an outsider gains access, they could steal the user's personal information or alter the inverter's settings. In the worst-case scenarios, they could shut down the system and cease output, creating a two-fold crisis. First, the customer would start incurring costs from the municipal utility company once the system switches from solar to utility power. Second, if the facility using solar power is large enough, it could cause an unexpected drain on the entire power grid.
2. Microgrids
Microgrids reduce reliance on municipal power grids and promote self-sufficiency for homes, universities, and other buildings. With them, people can increase resilience and reliability when accidents occur. However, these decentralized systems can be the targets of attacks. Because they're usually autonomous, microgrids increase the attack surface for solar technology. Adding IoT devices could make security more difficult for cybersecurity professionals to handle.
3. DoS Attacks
One of solar technology's vulnerabilities is Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. These threats overwhelm renewable energy grids by sending excessive commands to the inverters and significantly disrupting output. DoS attacks could target other specific sections of solar technology, drastically undermining their potential. For instance, a 2023 Frontiers in Energy Research study found DoS threats weakened communication channels, sensors, and servers with overwhelming data packets.
How Cybersecurity Professionals Can Protect Solar Energy
While an outside attack is realistic, cybersecurity professionals can take three immediate steps to safeguard solar energy systems.
1. Teach Security
Cybersecurity professionals may know how to detect a phishing email, but homeowners and business leaders might not have the same skills. This information gap emphasizes teaching basic security principles to limit the risk of human error.
For example, technology professionals should encourage business leaders to integrate cybersecurity into their overall strategy and share relevant tips to protect their solar technology. These actions may include reporting suspicious emails, using strong passwords, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
2. Updating Software
Another security measure to protect solar technology is regularly updating software. The manufacturer may send Over-The-Air (OTA) security patches to solve vulnerabilities they've discovered. Updating inverters and microgrids lowers the risk of comprised data and malware infections.
Without updates, solar technology becomes susceptible to unauthorized access and decreased functionality. The inverters could be vulnerable to spreading malware into the entire system if the owner isn't careful.
3. Setting up a Strong Firewall
A strong firewall is the backbone of solar technology cybersecurity. This mechanism protects the panel's inner networks from external forces and shields it from devastating attacks. Without it, solar technology is less capable of blocking intrusion attempts and protocol-based DoS attacks.
Why Protecting Solar Energy Is Critical
When considering cybersecurity, computers and smartphones receive much of the attention. However, protecting solar technology is just as important, as demonstrated by the following three points:
1. Easing the Energy Transition
The world still relies on oil and gas for home and business needs. People burn around 4,000 times more fossil fuels today than in the 1700s. Transitioning to renewable electricity is complex and becomes more challenging with security liabilities.
Solar adoption is rising nationwide, with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) projecting 10 million installations by 2030. People unfamiliar with solar technology may hesitate to adopt it, so cybersecurity professionals must prioritize public confidence in these systems. While individual buildings matter, the entire grid must be a priority.
2. Stabilizing the Grids
While they transmit electricity, electrical grids transfer data and have an extended threat landscape. The grid could succumb to attacks and cause widespread power failures. Stabilization means less volatility and stress and improved operations.
Stabilized grids are vital when considering how many people rely on them. If an outage happens, thousands could be without solar power despite no weather issues. A stable grid also benefits the public by recovering more quickly.
3. Aiding Public Safety
Nations rely on their grids provide creature comforts for all the homes, offices, and all the commercially available services that keep a society functioning smoothly. Renewable energy structures become more critical when disasters occur, and people must stay safe. If systems are compromised by a cyberattack, employees, and communities, become twice victimized in the event of an external disaster.
As more cities and states adopt solar power, cybersecurity professionals must be ready to tackle issues during significant crises. Cybercrime has significantly risen since 2001, so the new technologies necessitate top-rate security during natural occurrences, such as extreme cold, heat waves, snowstorms, or torrential hurricanes.
Protecting Renewable Technology
Renewable energy is integral to a sustainable future for homes and businesses. Solar and wind technologies drive modern utilities, though they have vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity should be a priority for homes and businesses because of the possibilities of cybercrime.
The U.S. and other countries are transitioning to renewable forms of energy, so this change can be tough for those unfamiliar with it. Because of the technology's nuanced integration, cybersecurity professionals must prioritize the multiple options to protect individuals, businesses, and the entire energy grid.
About the Author:
Dylan Berger has several years of experience writing about cybercrime, cybersecurity, and similar topics. He’s passionate about fraud prevention and cybersecurity’s relationship with the supply chain. He’s a prolific blogger and regularly contributes to other tech, cybersecurity, and supply chain blogs across the web.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this guest author article are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect those of Tripwire.
