Cybersecurity Challenges in Critical Infrastructure at National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Head Quarter in Islamabad

This talk was part of a webinar organized by NEPRA under its initiative “Power with Security” with an aim to create awareness amongst the power sector entities against the global risks of cyberattacks. The webinar was led and addressed by Chairman NEPRA, Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi followed by Cybersecurity Experts, Dr. Basit Shafiq from LUMS, and Mr. Mubarik Mustafa, Consultant M/s ACET Solutions. The webinar was attended by a large number of Power Sector Professionals, Trade and Business representatives, and NEPRA Professionals.

The Chairman of NEPRA, Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi in his opening remarks highlighted the importance of effective defense against potential cyberattacks on energy infrastructure which is lifeline of the economy. He further stated that cybersecurity is more challenging in the power sector due to scattered locations of power plants and installations and therefore a comprehensive cybersecurity governance model is needed to deal with this threat and promote a security and resilience-by-design culture.

In his talk, Dr. Basit Shafiq provided an overview of the cyber-threat landscape and discussed some of the growing sources of cyber risks in critical infrastructure. He also presented some examples of cyberattacks on industrial control systems and discussed the factors that contribute to security vulnerabilities and threats.