Cyber Threats Surge Across Europe’s Energy Sector, Finds Report
Written by Rebecca Uffindell Wed 9 Apr 2025
KnowBe4 has released new research warning of a sharp rise in cyber threats targeting Europe’s energy and utilities infrastructure. The report found that cyber threats more than doubled over a two-year period, with Germany and the UK experiencing particularly alarming spikes in activity. The findings place critical infrastructure resilience under urgent scrutiny.
The report, Could Cyberattacks Turn the Lights Off in Europe?, outlined how Europe’s transition to renewable energy, ongoing digital transformation, and heightened geopolitical tensions are expanding the region’s attack surface. Sophisticated threat actors are exploiting these shifts, putting essential power systems at greater risk.
Between 2020 and 2022, the number of cyberattacks on energy and utilities providers more than doubled across Europe. Phishing remains a key threat vector, and operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) are now prime targets.
Germany and the UK Under Pressure
Germany, with its decentralised grid and rapid green energy rollout, is increasingly exposed to cyber threats. The report highlighted that modernised but fragmented infrastructure creates new points of vulnerability for attackers to exploit.
In the UK, the number of successful cyberattacks on utility companies rose by a staggering 586% from 2022 to 2023. These incidents disrupted operations, caused financial damage, and underscored the urgency for improved detection and response capabilities.
The report noted the energy sector reported three times more OT/ICS incidents than any other industry in 2023, with phishing responsible for 34% of attacks. Ransomware continues to drive revenue losses and business interruptions, prompting 94% of energy companies to accelerate the adoption of AI-powered security technologies.
Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, Martin Kraemer, urged the energy security sector to take proactive steps to strengthen its cybersecurity defences as Europe navigates evolving cyber threats.
“The protection of critical infrastructure is paramount, as the research highlights how cyberattacks can cause widespread disruption across the energy sector, impacting everything from power generation to distribution. The need for continuous education, investment in threat detection technologies, and cross-border collaboration to safeguard the continent’s power infrastructure against escalating cyber threats has never been more clear,” said Kraemer.
Training and Culture Shift Prove Effective
The report showed sustained investment in security awareness training can deliver rapid risk reduction. Large energy organisations that implemented training saw phishing susceptibility drop from 47.8% to 4% in a single year. Among small and medium-sized firms, rates fell from 29.3% and 33.3% to 3.7% and 4.2%, respectively.
KnowBe4’s findings highlighted that effective cybersecurity is not purely technical—it hinges on culture, awareness, and accountability at every level of the organisation.
Urgency for Coordinated Action
With energy infrastructure modernisation accelerating across Europe, the report calls for greater collaboration between industry, government, and technology providers. As threats become more complex, a unified and proactive approach is needed to prevent disruption and safeguard the essential services on which businesses and citizens rely.
Written by Rebecca Uffindell Wed 9 Apr 2025