CYBERSECURITY
74 not bound by similar standards , although they are just as necessary .
This creates an obvious disparity between long-established ‘ legacy ’ names and the nimble , adaptable startups . This agility , however , should not be mistaken for an inherent advantage . “ Innovative startup businesses do not possess well-established processes to address security through the value chain , nor can they afford to hire expensive cybersecurity specialists ,” states Nijk . “ Spending more on cybersecurity than competitors can harm their shortterm profitability and growth . Therefore , it is necessary to establish and maintain security requirements that adequately cover the cybersecurity risks and are implementable by manufacturers .”
“ In my mind , there is no doubt that we are only beginning to realise the possibilities of cybersecurity capabilities within the energy domain ”
— Anjos Nijk , ENCS
Also , with the employees for electrical utilities now able to access a wide range of grid functions from home , a total reimagining of how energy companies operate ( and the associated risks ) could be the enduring legacy of COVID-19 . “ Attack scenarios , such as the cyberattacks on Citrix in January , demonstrate the severity of a compromisation in the digital era ,” Nijk continues . “ But the trend towards remote access has been ongoing for many years now and there are solutions to deal with it . COVID-19 will just mean that these solutions need to be implemented more quickly .”
OCTOBER 2020