Cyber security is all about “digital antibodies”

Over the years, the subject of cyber security has become increasingly crucial. Online threats have multiplied and, above all, evolved. Recognising and fighting them can be difficult, and “standard” defence technology is just not enough any more. With this in mind, Terna has launched the Digital Antibodies programme, a cyber security awareness course for employees of the Italian national electricity transmission grid and included in the latest 2021-2025 Industrial Plan - Driving Energy.

“The name was a no-brainer!”, recounts Massimiliano Garri, Head of Innovation & Market Solutions for Terna. “What we’ve been going through for over a year is leading us to become pandemic-resilient. Our body tends to react and adapt to the environment. At the same time, science gives us the tools to react to threats”. From there came the idea to train users to recognise cyber threats, giving them the means to respond correctly. With tools that can promote engagement, the entire corporate population with be involved in realistic experiences to improve their cyber security analysis, management, mitigation, and defence skills.

You don’t have to be an expert to recognise the risks in using computer assets, but you do need knowledge. In fact, the main channels of attack are still linked to human behaviour. Most breaches are connected to hacker attacks and linked to stealing passwords that are weak and easily discovered or to the installation of malware through emails with malicious links and attachments that the user opens or uses. Knowledge is still key in this historic time where smart working has officially become part of our work lives, also at Terna.

“Letting everyone, Terna employees and partners alike, access corporate applications and data (sometimes sensitive) remotely, has increased our risk, for which we quickly identified appropriate mitigation tools, in the search for the best user experience in respect of the highest security standards”, explains Garri, who, together with his team, defined a specific approach to improve and adopt new ways of operating with the new challenges. Among the initiatives in the Digital Antibodies programme there is also a Cyber Security under Smart Working course for all the employees working remotely, who are also the targets for tools to recognise and minimise the risks linked to using digital technology in a telecommuting environment.

According to Garri, cyber security will take on an increasingly important and central role on the Italian and international stages, leading to greater investments in the sector. The constant increase in online risks will require corporations to commit more and more resources to Cyber Risk Management in order to identify and manage external threats and internal vulnerabilities and subsequently identify the appropriate responses and countermeasures.

At Terna, managing cyber security is the Cyber Security & Security Platforms Department’s responsibility, where all cyber security management and operations are vertically concentrated, whether for the IT world (smart working, endpoint protection, etc.) or the OT world (industrial control systems and technologies), which improves risk management and interactions with the various stakeholders. A fundamental starting point in facing the online future, even if, according to Garri, “finding the perfect balance between security and usability, between capacity and limitations, in order to guarantee the best possible experience while using digital tools will be a real challenge to overcome”.