Energy entities must digitalise to fight cyber threats: Kaspersky

ISLAMABAD: A global cyber security company has warned that the energy organizations in Pakistan must timely prepare themselves to counter cyber incidents/cyber attacks after achieving full digitalization in the next two years.

According to the joint Kaspersky and VDC research report, ‘Powering Cyber Resilience in the Energy Sector’ issued on Friday, less than 5% of energy organizations can be considered fully digital nowadays. Yet, in just two years, that number is projected to explode, with nearly three-quarters (75%) of organizations expecting to achieve full digitalization. This ‘digital big bang’ is reshaping generation, transmission and distribution, promising unprecedented gains in efficiency, reliability and sustainability.

However, the same connectivity that enables real-time grid optimization opens new doors for cybercriminals. The consequences are already being felt. The research reveals that more than half of energy organizations have experienced cyber incidents costing over $1 million. This is not merely a data breach; it is a direct threat to operational continuity and the stability of the power grid. This highlights the escalating financial and operational risks confronting critical infrastructure. As the sector accelerates its digital transformation, securing the increasingly connected OT environments has become a strategic priority, the survey said.

To achieve these goals, energy companies are deploying advanced technologies such as AI-driven analytics, digital twins and predictive maintenance tools to optimize supply and demand, anticipate equipment failures and reduce unplanned outages.

Automated drones and robotics further enhance inspection safety and efficiency across transmission and generation sites, helping operators improve reliability metrics like SAIDI and SAIFI while enabling dynamic grid management and smoother integration of distributed energy resources.

According to Kaspersky, over 45% of organizations cite a shortage of specialized industrial cyber security talent as their top obstacle.

At the same time, a persistent divide between IT and operations complicates governance. Nearly three-quarters of organizations report that control system cyber security is led primarily by IT, with fewer than 10% indicating operational leadership – a fragmentation that can result in misaligned priorities and inconsistent protection strategies.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026