The 7th Cyber Europe, which this year was co-organised by Switzerland, focussed on energy infrastructure. With more than 200 cyber incidents occurring in 2023 in this sector, half of which were in Europe, the aim was to mobilise companies to address gaps in their cybersecurity. The European Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) stated that a third of energy operators do not monitor any of their critical processes related to industrial systems (OT) via a Security Operation Centre (SOC).
Several Swiss federal bodies and around thirty organisations from the energy sector took part in the simulation under the leadership of the Federal Office of Cyber Security (FOCS). For the exercise, ENISA developed a scenario in which a fictional foreign actor (codenamed Voltaros) threatened pan-European energy infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions. Over the course of two days, industry stakeholders were subjected to extensive simulated attacks. The aim was to enable participants to improve their coordination and crisis management skills to ensure business continuity despite attacks.
“Preserving our critical infrastructure is one of the foundations of the Single Market and we must therefore improve our preparedness and response capabilities to protect it. The Cyber Europe exercise is proof that we are committed to our efforts to achieve this.” commented Juhan Lepassaar, Executive Director of ENISA.
Following the exercise and its analysis, ENISA is set to publish a report with guidelines and suggestions for energy organisations to bolster their cybersecurity. The OFCS will also conduct “a review of the results and lessons to be learned at a national level, with the assistance of the participants.” The main takeaway from Cyber Europe is ensuring companies are fit for the future of cyber threats.
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