An IEC 62443-Based Framework for Secure-by-Design Energy Communities

The integration of the Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII) into the legislation of European Union member states and the subsequent proliferation of Renewable Energy Communities (REC) has highlighted the need for software platforms to support the administrative, financial, and technical operations of these communities. However, the rise of RECs also introduces significant cybersecurity risks, including financial losses, privacy violations, and broader threats to the stability of the distribution grid. Despite these risks, RECs present a unique opportunity to address cybersecurity concerns from inception, ensuring that security measures are integrated into their design, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of later countermeasures. This paper proposes an IEC 62443-based framework for the secure-by-design development of RECs; after analyzing the risks, the paper proposes a set of guidelines for its mitigation, and validates the proposed approach showing how a REC that respects these guidelines would be compliant with the IEC 62443 standard.