Solar PV Opens Europe's Grids to Massive Cyberattacks

摘要

A surge in solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has made Europe's power grids more susceptible to cyberattacks that could cripple electricity networks, endanger lives and cause billions of dollars in damage, a new study warns. Hundreds of thousands of solar PV units with an aggregate capacity of multiple gigawatts and inadequate cyberattack defenses could collectively be taken over by a malicious hacker and used to bring down national electricity networks until the hack was contained or the sun went down. Given the interconnectivity of Europe's power grids, there could be continentwide rolling blackouts, says Willem Westerhof, a Dutch cybersecurity researcher who realized such an attack was possible after studying solar panels produced by a leading brand in late 2016.