AI Specialist in Austria Expresses Need for Enhanced Cybersecurity Following Major Power Outage

AI Specialist in Austria Expresses Need for Enhanced Cybersecurity Following Major Power Outage

From the Grid to Your Smartphone: AI's Role, Risks, and Responsibility

Artificial Intelligence (AI) no longer remains a futuristic concept - it has become an integral part of our daily lives, transforming the way we stream entertainment, hail a cab, or navigate our city streets. But as AI permeates deeper into our society, it also poses new risks, particularly to the critical infrastructure that powers our homes and industries.

In a recent oe24 interview, Dominik Kronberger, Head of AI Consulting at DXC Technology Austria, highlighted the growing threat of AI-powered cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, such as power grids, power plants, and even the digital control systems in factories and hospitals. While the exact cause of the recent blackout in Spain and Portugal remains elusive, Kronberger emphasized the potential for malicious AI to precipitate similar outages in the future [OE24].

Cybercriminals are increasingly capitalizing on AI, improving their hacking success rates by using sophisticated phishing emails and other deepfake technologies. As employees increasingly work online, this creates new entry points for hackers, enabling them to access sensitive data through personal devices and social channels [DXC].

One of the most concerning trends is the increased targeting of critical infrastructure, with digital control systems in factories, power plants, and hospitals increasingly becoming the “battlefield” for hacker attacks. In response, businesses are stepping up their efforts to test their operations and equip them with cybersecurity measures. Today, over 70% of companies in Austria and Switzerland have an emergency plan for hacker attacks, up from approximately 40% just two years ago, while the figure in Germany stands at 76% [DXC].

DXC Technology, a global, Fortune-500 technology company, recently conducted a study with 300 IT decision-makers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The study identified five key cybersecurity trends that Austrian companies should prepare for in 2025. Here's a closer look at each trend:

1. AI as a cyber weapon for attack and defense: Cybercriminals are becoming more creative in their use of AI to improve the success rates of hacker attacks. Deepfakes are being employed to create convincing fake texts, images, or sounds that can bypass traditional defense mechanisms, making it increasingly challenging for businesses to safeguard their operations [DXC].
2. New entry points: With employees increasingly online and a growing number of applications, there is an increasing number of potential entry points for hackers to access sensitive data. A blending of business activities with personal usage on devices creates additional vulnerabilities [DXC].
3. Critical infrastructures at risk: The digital control systems of factories, power plants, and hospitals are increasingly becoming targets of hacker attacks [DXC].
4. Increased threat level for supply chains: Cybercriminals are specifically targeting supply chains, focusing on the network of companies within an industry rather than just attacking individual end-users. Such attacks can have far-reaching consequences for entire industry sectors [DXC].
5. AI aggregates power: The shortage of trained cybersecurity personnel is already a challenge for companies. Meanwhile, existing IT security teams are facing increasingly complex threat scenarios.

For those wondering about the role of AI in our daily lives, Kronberger explains: "AI is no longer just a thing of the future - it has become a part of our daily lives. From personalized streaming services, navigation, and fraud detection to healthcare and aviation, AI works tirelessly in the background, making our lives easier and smarter. However, it's about more than just comfort – AI offers immense potential in various aspects of our lives, from healthcare to aviation" [OE24].

While AI's transformative capabilities are undeniable, it also presents risks, particularly when it comes to security and ethics. To ensure responsible AI use, companies must focus on ethical design, adequate governance, and transparency in AI development. In the words of Kronberger: "AI mirrors human systems - with all their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, ethical design, governance, and transparency are indispensable" [OE24].

In light of increasing cybersecurity threats and the critical role of AI, companies would be well-advised to expand their talent pool for cybersecurity roles, and to train their existing employees through on-the-job training programs. DXC Technology is ready to support global companies in this endeavor, helping them secure their critical systems and processes, modernize their IT environments, optimize their data architectures, and ensure their systems' security and scalability across public, private, and hybrid clouds.

Sources:* * OE24 * DXC

Enrichment Data:AI-powered cyber attacks pose escalating risks to critical infrastructure like power grids and power plants, with consequences spanning operational disruptions, safety hazards, and national security threats. Here are the key risks identified in recent analyses:

Operational Disruption

• AI-driven automation enables attackers to execute highly sophisticated, coordinated attacks at scale.
• Over 60% of organizations in critical sectors have experienced cyberattacks in the past year, often resulting in service outages or permanent system damage.
• For example, compromised grid controls could trigger cascading blackouts, while attacks on industrial control systems (ICS) might disable safety protocols in power plants, risking equipment failure or catastrophic accidents.

Advanced Attack Vectors

• AI-enhanced phishing: Deepfake audio/video or hyper-personalized social engineering can bypass traditional defenses.
• Automated hacking: AI-powered tools rapidly probe networks for vulnerabilities, accelerating intrusion timelines.
• Stealthy reconnaissance: Nation-state groups use AI to evade detection while mapping infrastructure for future attacks.

National Security Threats

• Nation-state actors from North Korea, Russia, Iran, and China are actively targeting critical infrastructure, often aiming to test capabilities for large-scale disruptions.
• Attacks on energy grids or emergency response systems could paralyze national functions, endangering public safety and economic stability.

Compromised AI Systems

• Adversaries may manipulate AI models themselves by poisoning training data or exploiting weak access controls, leading to flawed decision-making in grid management or incident response.

Financial and Societal Fallout

• Beyond immediate costs (e.g., ransomware payments), breaches erode stakeholder trust and risk exposing proprietary data.
• Prolonged outages in critical services could also trigger civil unrest or loss of life.
• Approximately 25% of organizations cite loss of trust as a top concern, while 22% fear trade secret theft.

Regulatory and Defense Challenges

• While frameworks like NIST’s Cyber AI Profile aim to standardize AI-cyber risk management, the rapid evolution of threats outpaces current defenses.
• Human oversight remains critical to detect subtle attack patterns AI might miss, but workforce shortages and legacy systems exacerbate vulnerabilities.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used by cybercriminals to boost the success rates of cyberattacks, with a particular focus on targeting critical infrastructure like power grids and power plants. This could lead to operational disruptions, safety hazards, and national security threats in the future.

In order to combat these escalating risks, businesses are stepping up their efforts to test their operations and equip them with cybersecurity measures, especially as more employees work online and potential entry points for hackers increase.

Dominik Kronberger, Head of AI Consulting at DXC Technology Austria, emphasized the importance of ethical design, adequate governance, and transparency in AI development to ensure responsible AI use. He also explained that AI has become an integral part of our daily lives, transforming various aspects such as healthcare, aviation, and navigation.

To secure their critical systems and processes, companies must expand their talent pool for cybersecurity roles and train their existing employees. DXC Technology is ready to support global companies in this endeavor, helping them modernize their IT environments, optimize their data architectures, and ensure their systems' security and scalability across public, private, and hybrid clouds.

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