{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/humans-remain-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-energy-systems-experts-say","json":"https://digestai.news/story/humans-remain-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-energy-systems-experts-say.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/humans-remain-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-energy-systems-experts-say.md","slug":"humans-remain-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-energy-systems-experts-say","headline":"Humans remain biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems, experts say","summary":"Energy infrastructure in the United States is aging and was largely built before the internet era. The average U.S. nuclear reactor is about 44 years old, and many power‑plant control systems were never designed with modern cybersecurity in mind. Experts such as Joshua Corman of the Institute for Security and Technology note that human adversaries – from nation‑state actors to lone sociopaths – are still the primary threat, a view echoed by Rob Denaburg of the American Public Power Association, which represents utilities in roughly 2,000 municipalities.  A Department of Homeland Security warning earlier this year highlighted Iranian actors as a possible source of attacks, underscoring the ongoing danger.\n\nWhile some AI developers warn there is a 10 percent chance that artificial intelligence could one day kill all humans, the interviewees said the more immediate concern is that generative AI tools amplify the capabilities of malicious humans.  OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman recently met with utility leaders, and the company announced a $1 billion pledge to subsidize AI models that help defend critical infrastructure.  Nonetheless, experts caution that relying on AI defenders carries its own risks and that regulatory safeguards for AI lag behind those for nuclear technology.","keyPoints":["Average U.S. nuclear reactor age is about 44 years, many were never internet‑connected.","Experts say human adversaries, not rogue AI, are the primary cyber threat to power grids.","OpenAI pledged $1 billion to subsidize AI models for protecting critical infrastructure."],"whyItMatters":"Human‑driven cyber attacks on aging energy systems threaten safety and reliability, and AI tools may make those attacks easier, prompting urgent security and policy action.","category":{"slug":"policy","name":"Policy & Regulation","url":"https://digestai.news/category/policy"},"entities":{"companies":["OpenAI","American Public Power Association","Hugging Face","Institute for Security and Technology"],"models":[],"people":["Joshua Corman","Sam Altman","Sophie McDowall","Rob Denaburg"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-20T12:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-20T12:00:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"The Verge AI","title":"Humans, not rogue AI, are still the biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems","url":"https://theverge.com/science/997834/ai-cyberattack-energy-critical-infrastructure","publishedAt":"2026-09-20T12:00:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Humans remain biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems, experts say\", 20 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/humans-remain-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-energy-systems-experts-say","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Humans remain biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems, experts say","datePublished":"2026-09-20T12:00:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/humans-remain-biggest-cybersecurity-risk-to-energy-systems-experts-say"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}