Strengthening Cyber Defenses in Renewable Energy: Insights From Nordic Pine 24

As renewable energy systems expand, so do the cyber threats targeting them. During NATO’s Nordic Pine 24 exercise, Northwave played a key role, with Country Manager Kim Elman acting as Chief RC Cyber, supporting exercise design and execution. This exercise brought together stakeholders from Sweden, Finland, the U.S, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland to tackle the growing cybersecurity challenges in renewable energy.

With Sweden's NATO membership application accelerating both military and civilian preparations, understanding how adversaries could disrupt energy supplies in peacetime, grey zones, and during conflict has become crucial for NATO.

The Nordic Pine 24 exercise provided a unique opportunity to address these issues, with NATO co-financing the complex and resource-intensive event. Kim Elman participated in developing the exercise and helped leadparticipants through discussions and hands-on scenarios that focused on vulnerabilities in renewable energy systems. Risks such as cyberattacks on SCADA systems, insider threats and combined cyber-physical sabotage were explored, demonstrating the importance of preparedness as renewable energy plays an increasingly vital role in NATO countries' energy mix.

We had the opportunity to speak with Kim Elman who played a central role in chairing part of the exercise. He shared his thoughts on the importance of international cooperation in combating modern cyber threats:

"Serving as Chief RC Cyber during NATO’s Nordic Pine 2024 exercise has truly demonstrated the great value of international collaboration in addressing hybrid threats, where the cyber element was a critical factor in almost every scenario. As society becomes increasingly digitized, cybersecurity remains a cornerstone – whether facing disinformation campaigns or attacks on supply chains," says Kim Elman.

Among the topics covered during the event were:

• Cyberattacks on SCADA systems
• Insider threats
• Combined natural disasters and hacker attacks
• Cyber-physical sabotage
• IoT impacts on power distribution and grid stability
• Command, control, and communication interdependencies
• Supply chain disruptions and transport delays
• Misinformation and malign influence campaigns

These discussions went beyond cybersecurity, touching on supply chain vulnerabilities, misinformation, and the influence of IoT technology on energy grids. Through collaborative scenarios, participants developed strategies to mitigate these complex threats, offering valuable insights for future defense planning.

Swedish public service, SVT, reported on the NATO Nordic Pine 24 exercise, highlighting the risks of hybrid warfare against renewable energy infrastructure. According to NATO’s research chief, Bryan Wells, the exercise focused on vulnerabilities in renewable energy, particularly the risk of cyberattacks leading to blackouts that could disrupt society for weeks. NATO emphasized the importance of self-sufficiency in energy production, especially as Europe moves away from reliance on Russian energy.

As Sweden integrates further into NATO, events like Nordic Pine 24 are essential for aligning national defense strategies with NATO’s goals. For Northwave, the exercise underscored the need to continuously evolve our cybersecurity practices, especially as the shift toward fossil-free energy brings new challenges. The knowledge gained from Nordic Pine 24 equips us and our partners to better protect critical energy systems from cyber threats.

"By bringing together expertise from different nations, we’ve exchanged invaluable insights, experiences, and strategies that not only strengthen our collective ability to face future cyber threats but also strengthen cross-border relationships and mutual understanding. This exercise has emphasized the power of collaboration and laid the groundwork for even stronger partnerships moving forward. Now, it’s crucial that the lessons learned here are put into practice, and that the work continues within each individual organization," Elman adds. 

At Northwave, we remain committed to strengthening and safeguarding the energy infrastructure that our societies are growing increasingly dependent on. The future can only be green if it is also cyber-secure.