Photovoltaics is the technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using solar cells. It is used in rooftop systems, solar farms, and utility-scale plants, and it has become important because it can reduce dependence on imported fuels while adding distributed generation to the grid.
In cyber security, photovoltaics matters because modern solar installations are not just panels; they include inverters, monitoring platforms, remote management tools, and sometimes battery storage. Each of these components can expose digital interfaces that attackers may probe for weak passwords, insecure remote access, outdated firmware, or poor network segmentation. A compromise can disrupt power output, falsify telemetry, or interfere with grid operations. Defenders therefore focus on access control, logging, patch management, and separating operational technology from less trusted networks.