Methodological insights for the prevention of cyber-attacks risks in the energy sector: An Empirical Study

As the reliance on technology and virtualization grows, the vulnerability to cyber-attacks increases, necessitating specialized approaches to analyze and understand these risks. This research focuses on developing a comprehensive framework for the identification, analysis, and management of cyber risks in the energy industry, with the goal of enhancing the resilience of sociotechnical systems against known and emerging cyber threats. This paper provides a first critical analysis of existing methodologies and cyber risk assessment practices, identifies gaps in current approaches, and outlines a roadmap for the development and implementation of a cyber risk study methodology and a digital tool tailored to the energy sector. The proposed methodology incorporates the development of knowledge databases for cyber risk analysis, encompassing data on energy industry environment and past cyber incidents and accidents. This information will facilitate the identification of attack scenarios and enable a comprehensive categorization of risks. The paper also discusses the practical application of the developed methodology applied to a first case study within the energy industry, illustrating its potential for enhancing cyber resilience. Finally, the paper reflects on the implications of the findings for the broader field of cyber risk analysis and management, as well as avenues for future research and development.