Colaboramos junto a nueve compañías vascas en un ambicioso proyecto para desarrollar soluciones que protejan la red eléctrica de ciberataques

March 31, 2023

• Cybersecurity of the electricity grid is one of the main challenges facing the energy sector.
• Led by Ingeteam and with the participation of Iberdrola, the SEC2GRID project will run until 2024 with an investment of €6.4 million. It is part of the Basque Government’s Hazitek 2022 program.
• The electrical grid is a complete and complex system, and what is new about SEC2GRID is that it addresses its multiple services, infrastructures and equipment, to develop cybersecurity measures that prevent possible attacks and vulnerabilities.
• Also noteworthy is the collaborative aspect of the project, in which competing companies share knowledge and information on a matter as strategic as cybersecurity.
• Participating: Ingeteam, Iberdrola, Barbara IoT, Ormazabal, PwC, Zigor  ZIV, Ikerlan and the GAIA Cluster.

March 28, 2023 – The incorporation of new technologies and digitalization are transforming the electricity grid into a smart infrastructure (Smart GridThis transformation entails new risks, as digitalization exposes the energy system to cyberattacks and incidents that can threaten network security.The cybersecurity of the electrical grid has become, therefore,in a key element and in one of the main challenges facing the sector.

Given this reality,10 Basque entities we havejoined in the SEC2GRID project that started last year andque It will be developed until the end of 2024 with a budget of €6.4M.The goal is to equip the entire value chain of the electricity sector with the capacity to respond in a coordinated and rapid manner to cybersecurity incidents that may affect the electricity grid.

The overall outcome of the project will be a federated infrastructure (built collaboratively and sharing consolidated data from all participants) to support a service capable of intelligently searching for and identifying vulnerabilities in all components of the electrical grid, using artificial intelligence and other technologies. Once these vulnerabilities are identified, the operator—in this case, Iberdrola—will gain a clear overview to analyze their severity, urgency of resolution, and other relevant factors.

In this regard, the consortium points out that it isIt is essential to address vulnerabilities that appear in the electrical grid over time before they can be exploited by potential attackers.It is important to keep in mind that an attack on the electrical grid – which is one of the main infrastructures in a country – can have serious and unpredictable consequences in critical areas such as hospitals, banks, military infrastructure, police, etc.

The SEC2GRID Project is funded by the Hazitek 2022 program of the Basque Government, led byIngeteam and Iberdola,and features the participation ofAccenture, Barbara IoT, Ormazabal, PwC, Zigor, ZIV, Ikerlan and the GAIA Cluster.

The SEC2GRID project includes aspects such as:

– Design ofadvanced mechanisms for early vulnerability detectionTo achieve this, it is essential to identify and maintain each and every component deployed throughout the network that may be vulnerable. As Ingeteam explains, “This must be done in real time and in a federated or consolidated manner. In cybersecurity, the weakest link in the chain determines the overall security level of the system. It is necessary to cover the entire value chain.”

– It is also necessary to haverisk analysis mechanisms appropriate to the characteristics of electrical networks.These risks are what can be used to make appropriate decisions about how to act. Risks must be assessed considering the entire system.

– Furthermore, one must be able toto correct, test in an agile manner, and deploy the detected problems using secure mechanisms“At this stage, challenges may arise that are not easy to address when we are talking about teams operating in critical infrastructures.”

Throughout the project, different solutions will be developed and deployed as proof of concept orpilot inside theGlobal Smart Grids Innovation Hub (GSGIH) of Iberdrola in Bilbao,From which the company will be able to collect information, perform vulnerability checks and, thereby, incorporate risk analysis into its network.

The project will also generatenew knowledge that enables innovation in disruptive technologies and solutions to address the cybersecurity challenges of the electricity sector.

Collaboration to go further

A distinctive feature of the project is its collaborative spirit. “We are a consortium of companies that significantly represent the value chain within the electricity grid, and we have joined forces to address a critical issue such as cybersecurity. It’s important to remember that many of the companies involved are direct competitors, and collaborating in this way is not commonplace,” the consortium emphasizes.

In this sense, having frameworks like HAZITEK and clusters like GAIA that promote this type of collaboration and serve to combine forces – not only in the area of ​​resource optimization, but also in the area of ​​knowledge – “They allow everyone to row in the same direction, obtain more enriching results, and go further in specific areas, such as cybersecurity in this case.”.

The participation of Iberdrola is also fundamental.as a driving force of the project. “He is the network manager and knows the existing problems and needs better than anyone.”Having it within the project consortium is key to being able to identify the real needs and requirements“To review and approve all actions taken throughout the project and validate the solutions developed. Being incorporated into the project as another partner allows us to guide activities to ensure the project’s optimal outcome,” the consortium members conclude.