Researchers Find 8,547 Exposed Systems at European Power Plants
Modat and NCSC-NL identified thousands of internet-exposed systems linked to solar and wind facilities, with most in Spain.
Modat and researchers from NCSC-NL announced they identified 8,547 internet-exposed systems connected to European solar and wind power facilities. The results were presented on the same day at the ONE Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, according to aitimes.com.
Of the exposed systems, 7,942 were solar-related and were found across 34 countries. Spain accounted for 2,766 of those systems, or 35% of all solar exposure. Wind power-related systems numbered 605 across 23 countries.
Modat is notifying operators through national CERTs and advising them to block internet-facing management interfaces and review operational technology (OT) network access.
In January, CERT Polska published a report on a cyber attack that targeted at least 30 wind and solar power plants on December 29 of the previous year. That attack cut communication between the power facilities and grid operators but did not affect power production or the stability of the Polish grid.
Quick answers
What did Modat and NCSC-NL find?
They identified 8,547 internet-exposed systems connected to European solar and wind power facilities.
Where are the exposed solar systems located?
The 7,942 solar-related systems were found across 34 countries, with 2,766 in Spain, accounting for 35% of all solar exposure.
What are operators advised to do?
Modat is advising them to block internet-facing management interfaces and review OT network access.