The Sec2Grid project, in its final phase, has been developed thanks to the support of the Basque Government’s Hazitek 2022 program, with a total investment of 6.4 million euros. This ambitious project aims to strengthen cybersecurity in electrical grids, which are becoming increasingly complex and interconnected due to digitalization. With a focus that covers the entire value chain, Sec2Grid aims to develop measures and protocols to mitigate the risks of cyber attacks and vulnerabilities in electrical infrastructures and services.
The team behind Sec2Grid includes key players in the sector, such as Ingeteam leading the project, as well as Arteche, Barbara, Ormazabal, PwC, Zigor, ZIV, Ikerlan and the GAIA Cluster. These entities have worked together to identify vulnerabilities in devices used in smart electrical grids, with a proactive approach to anticipate problems before they occur. Imanol García, R&D Projects Director at Ingeteam, highlights that the goal is to communicate potential future difficulties to electrical operators, allowing them to be corrected in advance.
One of the main challenges of the project has been adapting security measures to a system with unique characteristics. Cybersecurity has become a crucial aspect in this environment, as response times to address vulnerabilities in critical assets such as electrical grids are significantly long. Therefore, the project has had to develop surveillance techniques to ensure that operational equipment maintains the expected level of security.
A significant part of the work done has been the creation of a virtual testing environment, located at Ikerlan, where rapid cybersecurity tests have been conducted on equipment from different manufacturers. This infrastructure simulates an operational electrical grid, allowing for agile and effective joint testing. Project participants have emphasized the importance of collaboration, highlighting that, despite being competitors, they have mutually enriched each other throughout the process.
Furthermore, Sec2Grid has implemented methodologies to ensure the proper deployment of necessary software corrections on the network equipment, taking into account the most common attack vectors. This includes the development of signed and authenticated authorizations to ensure that updates come from manufacturers and have been accepted by electrical operators.
With the completion of Sec2Grid, the set of measures and protocols developed will allow players in the electrical sector to improve their resilience to cyber attacks, contributing to the creation of a safer and more prepared system to face the challenges of the future.
via: MiMub in Spanish
