AI and utility cybersecurity

Insights from the American Public Power Association

The American Public Power Association (APPA) recently explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape for electric utilities.

According to Rob Denaburg, APPA’s cybersecurity program senior manager, recent advances in generative AI introduce new risks, opportunities and strategic questions utilities need to understand.

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content. It works by learning patterns from massive amounts of existing data and predicting what piece of information should come next when a user asks it a question.

AI gives cyber criminals the ability to advance the scale, speed and sophistication of attacks. It helps create more convincing phishing emails, find system weaknesses, and automate cyberattacks.

Essentially, AI can help less experienced cyber criminals develop more sophisticated attacks.

However, Denaburg says AI also offers clear advantages in cyber defense. It can help utilities detect unusual activity and identify vulnerabilities.

It can also help prioritize threats so staff can respond more quickly.

But AI is also helping attackers work faster, shortening the time between finding a weakness and trying to exploit it.

That makes strong cybersecurity fundamentals—including regular system updates, employee awareness, and human oversight—more important than ever.

The good news is that AI doesn’t replace people. It works best as a tool to support informed decisions and strengthen existing cybersecurity practices.

Utilities that take time to understand AI, establish clear policies, and evaluate AI-powered security tools will be better prepared for the threats ahead.

Want to learn more?

Read the full article from APPA for a deeper look at how AI is changing cybersecurity and what utilities can do to prepare.