Distributed Energy Resources are small-scale energy assets connected close to where power is used or produced, such as rooftop solar arrays, batteries, microgrids, and some EV charging systems. Unlike central power plants, DERs are often managed through inverters, cloud portals, remote monitoring tools, and vendor-provided software, which makes them part of a larger digital control environment.
DERs matter in cyber security because they expand the attack surface of operational technology. Each connected inverter or controller can become a target for credential theft, unsafe remote access, malicious firmware, or misconfigured integrations. If compromised, DERs can affect availability, power quality, or grid stability, not just data. Defenders reduce risk by maintaining an accurate asset inventory, segmenting networks, limiting vendor access, verifying updates, and monitoring for abnormal control commands or device behavior. In modern energy systems, securing DERs is as important as securing the grid itself.