An interview with Rosa Kariger

Spoke with Rosa Kariger

Rosa Kariger, Iberdrola group's global cyber security director: "Over the past decade, the electricity industry has been investing in new technologies to improve efficiency and service quality. But as automation and digitisation increase, power system resilience becomes a growing concern for boards, senior management and policy makers."

"Our industry has many years' experience in protecting our critical infrastructure from environmental events and physical attacks. But cyber is a relatively new risk and now we need to review and enhance those protocols with new practices and strategies to address the new digital threats and we cannot do this alone, not only within our own individual companies, because these new technologies are also amplifying the interconnectivity between the different agents in the electricity ecosystem. More than ever, we need to join our efforts."

"To this end, the World Economic Forum provided a unique platform, bringing together relevant industry experts to reflect on this challenge, and the outcome was a guide on cyber resilience for the electricity industry with seven industry-specific principles that was presented in the 2019 annual meeting in Davos. This guide is key to raise awareness and will support boards and senior management to collaboratively approach cyber resilience in the increasingly complex electricity ecosystem. Iberdrola, one of the largest utilities and the leader in green energy, was honoured to co-chair such an important initiative."

"I really encourage all companies, large and small, within the electricity sector, to take a look at this guide. It is available at the website of the World Economic Forum."