Page 224 - Cyber Defense eMagazine September 2025

The electrical grid has several vulnerabilities, including its distribution systems. Transmission lines that
carry electricity to customers are broadly outdated, and their mechanisms enable remote access to
businesses, creating an opening for bad players to infiltrate and disrupt operations.

If the power grid fails due to a cyber attack, it will negatively affect governments, businesses and
communities. Essential services — emergency response, defense and public safety — will halt, while
adversaries might see an opportunity to threaten national security. Hospitals, transportation systems and
wastewater treatment plants will also lose power, endangering public health.

The economy also has much to lose — such as data, supply chain stability and regulatory compliance —
during widespread power disruptions. Studies show that just one hour of downtime costs manufacturers
$500,000 to $5 million, particularly in the pharmaceuticals, automotive, steel and chemical sectors.

Digital twins could offer much-needed protection. These tools can simulate the grid’s behaviors so that
engineers can better understand how it works. The digital twin uses real-time insights to generate an
immersive environment, enabling simulations, strategic forecasting and improved decision-making.

Top Ways Digital Twins Enhance Grid Security

The digital twin market is rapidly expanding, helping organizations improve efficiencies and lower costs.
These five capabilities are invaluable as the utilities sector strives for greater grid security.

1. Real-Time Threat Detection and Response

Digital twins can monitor grid operations in real time to detect anomalies and deviations from normal
behaviors, flagging them for further investigation.

Integrating digital twins and machine learning into cybersecurity processes authorizes grid security teams
to identify and address threats as they appear, allowing specialists to act quickly, isolate the problem and
respond promptly.

2. Advanced Simulation of Cyber Attacks

Digital twins can simulate wide-ranging cyber attacks without compromising the original grid system.
Utility companies can then use the simulation results to pinpoint vulnerabilities and assess the
performance of security controls.

Modeling known and emerging threats provides crucial information about potential attack vectors and
vulnerabilities, allowing power facilities to ramp up their security postures and best prepare for real
incidents.

3. Predictive Maintenance and Risk Mitigation

Utilities can leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning in digital twins to predict grid failures and
potential cyberattacks before they happen. Predictive analytics utilizes statistical algorithms that
determine the probability of future incidents based on past data.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – September 2025 Edition 224
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