OSCE holds national table top exercise in Bosnia and Herzegovina on protecting critical energy infrastructure from cyber-related terrorist attacks

Strengthening protection and preparedness against terrorist attacks aimed at critical energy infrastructure was the focus of a risk-assessment and crisis management exercise in Sarajevo on 16 and 17 May 2018, organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Thirty-seven experts from state authorities and private sector energy companies and agencies tested the effectiveness of their existing protection and crisis management systems, including co-ordination with external crisis management mechanisms to mitigate the impact of a terrorist cyber-attack. Based on the Good Practices Guide on Non-Nuclear Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection from Terrorist Attacks Focusing on Threats Emanating from Cyberspace the exercise was held as part of the OSCE’s work to advance the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2341 (2017) on the protection of critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks and aimed at improving partnerships between the public and private sectors in order to increase the resilience of national energy infrastructure.

“Because of the energy sector’s importance to the region, and the impact a terrorist attack would have on the OSCE area’s energy infrastructure, OSCE participating states have committed to co-operate on this particular topic, and have developed numerous tools to address the regional and national security of critical infrastructure,” said Bruce G. Berton, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. “This exercise will help test and develop BiH’s national, sectoral and company-level capabilities to respond to a terrorist cyber-attack directed at industrial control systems.“ 

“To be able to adequately protect critical energy infrastructure, we have to make sure that each of its elements is protected to a relatively equal extent (generation, transmission and distribution), which requires the harmonised and coordinated engagement of all relevant government institutions. It is important to note that this exercise will also contribute to introducing a strategic approach, with the view of developing and using available capacities to efficiently fight all forms of attacks in cyber space and reinforce security system in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, said Mladen Mrkaja, Assistant Minister of Security, who addressed the national energy and cyber security experts at the workshop’s opening.

The exercise in Bosnia and Herzegovina was the seventh national exercise on enhancing the capacities of OSCE participating States to mitigate terrorist attacks emanating from cyberspace.