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[TECHNOLOGY] · Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Netherlands · 8 sources

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Part of situation: Cybersecurity risks to European energy infrastructure (2 clusters)

European renewable energy systems exposed to cyberattacks

cybersecurity renewable energy critical infrastructure wind power solar energy

Researchers from the Dutch cybersecurity firm Modat and the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NL) have identified 8,547 internet-facing systems linked to wind and solar power parks across 35 European countries. The findings, presented at the ONE Conference in The Hague, reveal that many administrative and operational interfaces are publicly accessible, creating significant risks for sabotage and unauthorized control.

Of the identified systems, 7,942 are related to solar installations and 605 to wind farms. The researchers estimate that full control over energy infrastructure could be achieved at approximately 181 sites. In one documented instance, a wind turbine's web interface allowed for the viewing of live data and provided “Start, Stop and Reset” buttons, alongside the turbine's location.

Geographically, Spain and Germany are among the most affected. Spain recorded the highest number of exposed solar systems with 2,766, while Germany had the highest number of vulnerable wind power systems with 212. Other notable exposures include Greece and Italy. The researchers warned that the ease of mapping these systems means attackers can identify targets rapidly and urged operators to immediately remove administrative interfaces from the public internet to protect critical energy infrastructure.

Entities

Bouke van Laethem · Dutch National Cyber Security Centre · Modat · ONE Conference · Soufian El Yadmani

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Dlaczego nieaktualny system to dziś największe ryzyko? Bezpieczeństwo IT w erze AI [evolpe.pl]
Neue Studie zu Europas Energieinfrastruktur: Dünn warnt vor wachsender Angriffsfläche der Energiewende [cybersicherheitsrat.de]
Thousands of European wind and solar power systems exposed online, Dutch researchers say [srnnews.com]
Researchers Find Vulnerabilities in European Energy Systems [impakter.com]
Researchers Find 8,500+ European Wind and Solar Systems Exposed Online, With Full Control Possible at 180 Sites [www.technadu.com]
8 500 systèmes éoliens et solaires exposés en ligne à travers l'Europe, alertent des chercheurs | Toute l’actualité en France et dans le Monde - upday News [www.upday.com]
Thousands of European Wind, Solar Power Systems Exposed Online: Dutch Researchers [www.insurancejournal.com]
Thousands of European solar park systems exposed online, say researchers [www.pv-magazine.com]