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Renewable Energy Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks: FBI

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 27, 2019: Wind turbines generate electricity at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California, with snow-covered Mt. San Jacinto in the background. Located in the windy gap between Southern California's two highest mountains, the facility is one of three major wind farms in California. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

The FBI has issued an official alert to the public about the potential for malicious cyber actors to disrupt power generation, steal intellectual property, or hold critical information for ransom within the U.S. renewable energy sector.

The warning comes as federal and local governments increasingly advocate for renewable energies, expanding the industry and creating more opportunities for cyber threats.

According to the FBI, a 2019 incident underscored these risks when a private company lost visibility into approximately 500 megawatts of its wind and photovoltaic sites across California, Utah, and Wyoming due to a denial-of-service attack exploiting an unpatched firewall.

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