JERUSALEM, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Israel and Germany have agreed to jointly invest 2 million euros (2.15 million U.S. dollars) to promote research in cybersecurity for energy infrastructure, the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Israeli side and the German Ministry of Education and Research will contribute one million euros each for the research in cyber and digitization, the statement noted.
As part of the cooperation, researchers from leading universities from both countries will work together on developing new methods to deal with growing cyber threats in the energy sector.
"The expertise of Israeli and German research in cybersecurity will greatly contribute to the security of vital infrastructures in the world and pave the way for a safer future for all," Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen was quoted as saying in the statement.
The statement highlighted that global energy systems have experienced rapid digitization in recent years due to the decentralization of energy systems. While this trend has brought benefits for businesses and consumers, it has also increased the risk of cyberattacks, particularly targeting electricity, gas, and oil networks.
The resilience of the energy infrastructure has emerged as a major concern due to the increasing threats of cyberattacks, such as widespread power outages, espionage or extortion of network operators. Such cyberattacks could lead to a loss of control over facilities and processes in electricity systems, leading to extensive service disruptions and even physical damage, the statement added. ■
