Hi everyone, With everything happening globally—severe weather events, cyber threats, aging infrastructure, and the rapid integration of renewable and inverter-based resources—power grid resilience has become one of the most critical issues facing the energy sector. Here are a few trends and challenges that have stood out recently: 1. Climate-Driven Stress Events: Heatwaves, floods, and wildfires are no longer rare disruptions. We’re seeing more frequent and longer-duration outages caused by extreme weather. The need for adaptive infrastructure and real-time response strategies is more urgent than ever. 2. High Penetration of IBRs (Inverter-Based Resources): IBRs are changing grid dynamics—from stability and inertia to protection coordination. The recent blackouts in high-renewable regions showed how misconfigured protection schemes and lack of ride-through capabilities can amplify disturbances. 3. Cyber-Physical Resilience: Cybersecurity is now directly tied to resilience. The ability to detect, isolate, and recover from cyber incidents must be part of any resilience plan. Yet, many utilities still treat IT/OT security and physical resilience as separate silos. 4. Grid Modernization vs. Fragmentation: We’re modernizing fast—microgrids, VPPs, advanced sensors—but integration is still a bottleneck. Systems don’t always talk to each other, and visibility gaps persist, especially at the distribution level. 5. Workforce and Decision-Making Gaps: Resilience isn’t just about tech—it’s about trained operators, good policies, and situational awareness. As older workers retire, we need a new generation that understands both legacy and modern systems and can make decisions under pressure. Here are some questions for you: • What’s your utility or region doing to improve resilience? • How are you modeling or quantifying resilience (e.g., resilience curves, metrics)? • Are there new tools or approaches you’re using (digital twins, AI-driven response, DERMS, etc.)? Would love to hear your thoughts—let’s crowdsource some ideas.

Hey everyone, I wanted to start a thread to discuss some of the more recent and pressing challenges we're seeing in the power and energy systems cybersecurity in 2025. As many of you know, the convergence of IT and OT continues to grow, but so do the risks. Here are a few key issues I think are worth talking about: 1. Rise of Sophisticated Malware Targeting OT: We've seen a spike in OT-specific malware that can bypass traditional perimeter defenses. Attackers are becoming more familiar with protocols (like DNP3, Modbus, IEC 104), and we’re seeing more custom payloads designed to disrupt industrial processes directly. 2. Legacy System Vulnerabilities: A lot of OT environments still rely on outdated systems with little to no patching. The balance between availability and security remains a huge challenge—especially in critical infrastructure. 3. Insecure Remote Access & Supply Chain Risk: Remote work and third-party vendor access have expanded the attack surface. Many breaches in the past year stemmed from poorly secured vendor connections or compromised credentials. 4. Lack of Visibility and Monitoring in OT Networks: While IT networks have advanced SIEMs and monitoring tools, many OT environments still lack sufficient visibility into network traffic or endpoint behavior. 5. Regulatory Audit and Compliance Gaps: Standards, compliance frameworks, and audit requirements (e.g., NERC CIP updates) are putting pressure on utilities and asset owners—but implementation is often slow due to resource constraints or lack of internal expertise. Curious to hear from others: What challenges are you facing in securing your grids? Any tools, frameworks, or strategies you’ve found effective? Let’s share some best practices!