Pentest for hydroelectric power plants

Ukrhydroenergo is the largest hydroelectric power generating company in Ukraine, operating 10 power plants.

The total capacity of 104 hydro units installed at the company's power plants is 6,208.3 MW — that is 8% of the total energy balance of the country.

The client recognised the critical importance of securing their IT and cybersecurity infrastructure. The primary objective was to identify existing vulnerabilities and to assess the ability to gain unauthorised access to the SCADA network.

During pentesting, a full set of common pentester tools was used — but the main key to success was manual analysis: interconnecting individual vulnerability exploitation results to escalate privileges and demonstrate practical IT-infrastructure compromise.

The engagement provided invaluable insights into vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors that could compromise the client's critical infrastructure and gain unauthorised SCADA access.

Detailed recommendations and remediation strategies were provided to address vulnerabilities, enabling the client to prioritise and implement necessary security enhancements. The assessment also highlighted areas for improving information security processes, controls, and overall cybersecurity posture.

By addressing the findings, the client can significantly reduce cyber threats, safeguard critical infrastructure, and ensure continuity and reliability of hydropower operations.