ISLAMABAD: Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has warned that energy organisations in Pakistan must urgently strengthen their cyber resilience as rapid digitalisation transforms the sector over the next two years.
According to a joint Kaspersky–VDC report titled “Powering Cyber Resilience in the Energy Sector,” fewer than 5% of energy companies are currently fully digitalised. However, this figure is expected to surge to nearly 75% within two years, marking what the report describes as a “digital big bang” across power generation, transmission, and distribution systems.
While digital transformation promises improved efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, it also exposes critical infrastructure to rising cyber threats. The report reveals that more than half of energy organisations have already faced cyber incidents resulting in losses exceeding $1 million, posing serious risks to operational continuity and grid stability.
As the sector adopts advanced technologies such as AI-driven analytics, digital twins, and predictive maintenance, the need to secure operational technology (OT) environments has become increasingly critical. The integration of automation tools, including drones and robotics, is further enhancing inspection safety and system efficiency while supporting better grid management and reliability indicators like SAIDI and SAIFI.
However, key challenges persist. Over 45% of organisations cited a shortage of specialised industrial cybersecurity talent as a major barrier. Additionally, a disconnect between IT and operational teams continues to complicate governance, with nearly three-quarters of companies reporting that cybersecurity is primarily managed by IT rather than operations.
Kaspersky emphasised that without coordinated strategies and investment in cyber capabilities, the rapid digital evolution of the energy sector could leave critical systems vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
