The completion of the European CyberSEAS project aiming to improve the cyber security of the electrical power energy systems

The European CyberSEAS project which aims to improve the cyber security of the electrical power energy systems in the European Union will be completed at the end of September. These systems have become increasingly vulnerable due to cyberattacks, outdatedness and the increasing connectivity of energy infrastructures. The project involves 36 partners, including Petrol, which has used its platform to test new approaches and tools to improve the cyber security.  

The project was launched in October 2021 and consists of seven pilots, including one in which Petrol has tested new tools to assess risks and improve cyber security. "Not only has cooperation on such an important international project enabled us to demonstrate our know-how, but it has also equipped us with new tools and skills to identify software vulnerabilities, assess risks and improve cyber security," said Gašper Lakota, Head of CyberSEAS Project at Petrol, just before the end of the project. In addition to Petrol, the other partners in the pilot were ELES, Operato, Informatika, ICS and SI-CERT/Arnes and Croatian HOPS.

Improving the resilience of energy supply chains 

The CyberSEAS project is a European Union funded project improving the cyber security of the European electrical power energy systems (EPES). Over the course of two years, 26 consortium members from 10 countries have designed an ecosystem of 30 customisable security solutions providing support for key activities, such as risk assessment, interaction with end devices, secure development and deployment, real-time security monitoring, skills improvement and awareness, certification, governance and cooperation. 

The solutions have been validated in more than 100 attack scenarios, tested in three labs. The project will be completed at the end of September 2024. It will improve the resilience of energy supply chains against disruptions that exploit the enhanced interactions, the extended involvement models of stakeholders and consumers as channels for complex cyber-attacks, the presence of legacy systems and the increasing connectivity of energy infrastructures, data stores and services retailers.