April 26, 2022
Europe

European wind-energy sector hit in wave of hacks

European Wind-Energy Sector Hit in Wave of Hacks | By Catherine Stupp | The Wall Street Journal | April 25, 2022 | www.wsj.com

Three German wind-energy companies have suffered cyberattacks since the onset of the war in Ukraine—timing that suggests potential links to supporters of Russia’s invasion, said Christoph Zipf, a spokesman for WindEurope, a Brussels-based industry group.

The attacks come as the wind-energy sector is set to benefit from European efforts to lessen reliance on Russian oil and gas.

The companies attacked haven’t publicly attributed the hacks to a particular criminal group or country, and Russia has consistently denied that it launches cyberattacks.

Serious cyberattacks on industrial equipment aren’t common and take significant knowledge to prepare, according to security experts.

In one case, Turbine maker Nordex SE said it discovered a security incident on March 31 that forced it to shut its information-technology systems. Conti, a ransomware group that has declared support for the Russian government, said this month that it was responsible for the attack.

“We need high IT security standards” because the growing renewable-energy sector will become a bigger target for hackers, said Matthias Brandt, director of Deutsche Windtechnik. “The crisis in Russia and Ukraine shows us that renewables are replacing oil and gas in the future,” he said.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2022/04/26/european-wind-energy-sector-hit-in-wave-of-hacks/