Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of Russian aggressors, specialists of PJSC Cherkasyoblenergo have neutralized 20 cyber attacks, Andriy Pylypchuk, Director for IT and Communications of the company, said at the Forum on Energy Security of Communities, organized by the Energy club in Kyiv on July 6, 2023.

According to him, protecting power grids and substations from cyber attacks is a critical task for ensuring the security of energy infrastructure, since the consequences of an enemy cyber attack could be the blackout of hundreds of thousands of consumers.

As Pylypchuk explained, the key in the system of cybersecurity measures is the monitoring of potential threats, the essence of which is the creation and implementation of the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) at an enterprise. The main task of such a system is to analyze network traffic to identify anomalous or harmful actions, which allows for taking timely measures to block them.

Among other tools to counter cyberattacks, the specialist noted unidirectional data transfer gateways, firewalls, and anti-virus programs.

"However, the cybersecurity of electrical networks and substations has its own characteristics and specifics. The problem, in particular, is that the installed power equipment has different manufacturers and different communication protocols. Integration of all communications software under the umbrella of a single IDS system is the primary task of cyber defense for energy infrastructure facilities," the director for IT and communications of PJSC Cherkasyoblenergo said.