Blockchain and AI for the Next Generation Energy Grids: Cybersecurity Challenges and Opportunities

Renewable energy sources and the increasing interest in green energy has been the driving force behind many innovations in the energy sector, such as how utility companies interact with their customers and vice versa. The introduction of smart grids is one of these innovations in what is basically a fusion between the traditional energy grid with the IT sector. Even though this new combination brings a plethora of advantages, it also comes with an increase of the attack surface of the energy grid, which becomes susceptible to cyberattacks. In this work, we analyse the emerging cybersecurity challenges and how these could be alleviated by the advancements in AI and blockchain technologies.