The European wind energy sector is currently facing a wave of hacker attacks. Three German-based wind energy companies have been the target of cyber attacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These include the companies Nordex, Deutsche Windtechnik and Enercon. Enercon was indirectly affected after Russian hackers temporarily paralysed a communications satellite. This disrupted communication to 5800 wind turbines.
Three companies in the wind industry targets of hackers
Due to the interrupted satellite connection, the operators of Enercon wind turbines were temporarily no longer able to access the control of their turbines. The turbines continued to produce electricity in emergency mode, but fine-tuning was no longer possible. As a result, these turbines were also unable to run under optimal conditions for a longer period of time. At Deutsche Windtechnik, the hacker attacks cut off contact to around 2000 turbines. Nordex was hit the hardest, with the hackers paralysing the entire IT infrastructure. The company had to shut down its entire IT and rebuild it.
Russian hacker groups under suspicion
The companies attacked have not publicly attributed the hacks to any particular criminal group or country. Russia has consistently denied having instigated corresponding cyberattacks. However, Conti, a ransomware group that has declared its support for the Russian government, has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The timing of the attacks suggests possible links to supporters of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said Christoph Zipf, a spokesman for WindEurope, a Brussels-based industry group.
Hacker attacks on wind power plants prestigious and easier than on large power plants
The Russian hacker group is probably acting on its own. However, they are pursuing a political agenda by trying to assist Russia in some way in the ongoing conflict. It is probably no coincidence that they are targeting the operators of wind power plants. The expansion of renewable energies is a declared goal of the German government and also a corresponding object of prestige. In doing so, the traffic light government primarily wants to become independent of Russian energy sources. For the hackers, an attack on individual plants, their manufacturers or operators is much easier to implement than on large power plants.
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