Electricity is a necessity for modern life. It has become as critical to infrastructure as water, which also makes energy systems a prime target for both physical and digital attacks. The transition from analog operational technologies (OT) to digital information technologies (IT) as power systems are digitalized to ensure interoperability and onboarding of renewables is proceeding at a rapid pace. This process is essential to decarbonizing power systems, however it also creates new potential attack vectors for bad actors to exploit.

As energy represents infrastructure critical to the operation of modern society, it is essential that stakeholders take all available steps to ensure its security. This is why LF Energy and the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) have released a new whitepaper on how open source software is critical to the innovation and transformation of our energy infrastructure, and how to use it in a way that shields against cyber threats.

The whitepaper covers best practices for open source development within the energy sector with a focus on four key areas:

• The Evolution of Energy Systems 
• The Role of Open Source in Energy
• Current State of Cybersecurity in Energy
• Best Practices in Open Source for Cybersecurity

Concrete best practices are outlined in the paper to help stakeholders understand how to improve their cybersecurity and protect valuable energy assets. Cybersecurity is strongest when it is built in from the start rather than added on as an afterthought, and this paper can serve as a resource to help utilities, vendors, and other stakeholders do just that.

Download "Cybersecurity in Energy Infrastructure" for free today.