• September 24, 2025September 24, 2025
• Betterleg Studios

Part 1: Climate-Tech’s Hidden Cybersecurity Crisis

The Bottom Line: Climate technology companies face unique cybersecurity risks that traditional security playbooks don’t address. With attackers potentially controlling 200 gigawatts of solar power capacity and real attacks already disrupting thousands of wind turbines, it’s time to understand why your green innovation makes you a target. Let’s get to work.

---

You’re building technology to save the planet. That’s incredible work that matters. But here’s the reality check: while you’re focused on solving climate change, bad actors are focused on exploiting the unique vulnerabilities your technology creates.

Climate-tech companies aren’t just another software startup when it comes to cybersecurity. You’re managing IoT devices, operational technology, sensitive environmental data, and complex supply chains. You’re also a target for nation-state actors who see disrupting renewable energy as a strategic goal.

One successful cyberattack could shut down your solar farm, compromise years of research data, or destroy stakeholder trust right when your industry needs it most. For resource-constrained climate-tech startups, a major security incident could be game over.

But first, you need to understand why climate-tech gets targeted differently than other industries.

Why Climate-Tech Gets Targeted

Your IoT Devices Are Internet-Connected Targets

Every solar inverter, wind turbine controller, and smart grid component you deploy creates a potential entry point for attackers. Solar inverters are particularly vulnerable because they need internet connectivity to function—and researchers have identified that attackers could potentially control close to 200 gigawatts of solar power capacity through compromised IoT infrastructure.

Wind farms face similar risks, especially offshore installations. In 2022, a cyberattack on the KA-SAT satellite network disrupted around 5,800 wind turbines in Germany. Wind energy firm ENERCON lost remote access to these turbines, and restoration took up to two months in some cases. One failure, massive impact.

IT Meets OT: Double the Risk

Traditional cybersecurity focuses on Information Technology (IT)—laptops, servers, email. But climate-tech companies also manage Operational Technology (OT)—the systems that actually generate and distribute power. When you connect these networks, a phishing email targeting an employee can potentially impact systems controlling megawatts of clean energy.

In 2023, manufacturing and energy sectors accounted for 64% of CISA Industrial Control Systems advisories. The convergence of IT and OT isn’t just a tech trend—it’s creating security gaps that attackers actively exploit.

Global Supply Chains, Global Risks

Climate technology relies heavily on specialized components from global suppliers. Nation-state dominance in solar and wind markets creates potential security vulnerabilities, including “hardware backdoors” that can enable remote access, data theft, or surveillance capabilities embedded during manufacturing.

These supply chain risks extend beyond hardware to software dependencies, third-party integrations, and service providers that handle everything from data analytics to remote monitoring.

The SolarWinds supply chain attack compromised over 18,000 global customers, including energy companies that depend on enterprise IT tools for system management. In January 2024, Cactus ransomware infiltrated Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business Division, stealing 1.5TB of sensitive environmental compliance data for numerous multinational companies.

The Threat Landscape Is Getting Worse

Nation-States Want to Slow Down the Energy Transition

Warnings were issued in 2024 that threat actors linked to Nation-States are increasingly targeting renewable energy companies to disrupt power generation, steal intellectual property, or hold operational data for ransom.

These aren’t just financially motivated attacks. Nation-state actors understand that successful attacks on renewable energy infrastructure can slow progress toward energy independence and climate goals.

Real Attacks Are Already Happening

This isn’t theoretical. In 2019, a denial-of-service attack targeted a large private solar asset owner. The attack exploited an unpatched firewall vulnerability, causing the company to lose visibility into about 500MW of solar and wind assets across multiple states for over 12 hours. While power generation continued, this was the first widely reported cyberattack directly affecting renewable generators.

More recently, the SolarWinds supply chain attack compromised over 18,000 global customers, including energy companies that depend on enterprise IT tools for system management. In January 2024, Cactus ransomware infiltrated the sustainability division of a multinational corporation, stealing 1.5TB of sensitive environmental compliance data for numerous multinational companies.

AI Makes Attacks Scale

Artificial Intelligence is being weaponized to automate vulnerability discovery and targeting. Attackers can now efficiently identify exposed assets across multiple climate-tech targets simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) has made sophisticated attacks accessible to less-skilled criminals. Between February and June 2022, several major European wind energy companies suffered ransomware attacks—one had to disconnect remote access to around 2,000 turbines, and another shut down IT systems to limit damage. Ransomware attacks hit record highs in 2023 with 4,496 victims—a 68% increase from 2022.

What Happens When You Get Hit

Operational Impact

Attacks on smart grid infrastructure could trigger widespread blackouts if bad actors seize control of multiple PV inverters. The potential for cascade effects means simultaneous attacks on multiple systems could cause devastating consequences affecting millions of people and critical infrastructure.

We’ve seen this playbook before. The 2021 ransomware attack on a pipeline company shut down nearly half the U.S. East Coast’s fuel supply for several days. While that targeted traditional energy infrastructure, it demonstrated how cyberattacks can cascade across entire energy systems.

Financial Reality

The average cost of security incidents in the energy sector exceeds $4 million, while attacks on utilities increased 200% in 2023. For startups operating on tight funding cycles, a single major incident could prove catastrophic to business continuity and investor confidence.

Regulatory Compliance Nightmare

Climate-tech companies face an increasingly complex regulatory environment. The EU’s GDPR can impose hefty penalties, and utilities must comply with cybersecurity regulations like the EU’s Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2), which can result in fines up to EUR 10 million or 2% of global revenue.

The Stakes Are Too High to Ignore

Climate technology companies operate at the intersection of innovation and vulnerability. Your mission to combat climate change is too important to let cybersecurity risks derail your progress.

The attacks we’ve covered aren’t isolated incidents—they’re part of a growing pattern targeting the renewable energy sector. As climate-tech continues to grow and gain strategic importance, these attacks will only increase in frequency and sophistication.

The reality: You will face cybersecurity challenges. The question is whether you’ll be prepared to handle them effectively while continuing to drive environmental impact.

Coming up in Part 2: We’ll walk through a practical 90-day action plan to build strong cybersecurity without breaking the bank or slowing down innovation. You’ll get specific steps, timelines, and pro tips for getting your security house in order.

---

Ready to build world-class security for your climate-tech company? Let’s get to work. Contact Betterleg Studios to learn how we can help you implement practical cybersecurity solutions that protect your innovation while advancing your environmental mission.

Plain language. Actionable insights. Security superpowers for your team.