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At last year’s Wānaka Sustainability Summit, Nick Baty from our team spoke about the
cyber risks hidden in green technologies and automated building management systems.
The session sparked valuable conversations and led to a follow-up podcast on the topic.
This blog continues that discussion, highlighting why cyber resilience must be
considered alongside sustainability goals, and what organisations can do today to stay
ahead.
The overlooked risks in sustainable technology
Green technologies are transforming how we live and work. EV chargers, lithium-ion
batteries, and automated building management systems promise efficiency, lower
emissions, and smarter operations. But functionality often takes priority over resilience.
That can create exposure. Offshore, we’ve already seen:
- Wind farms compromised to overspeed turbines, causing blades to fail.
- EV charging networks manipulated to dangerously overheat batteries.
- Building management systems breached where networks weren’t segmented.
While these issues aren’t yet widespread in New Zealand, adoption is accelerating, and with it, the need for foresight.
Supplier responsibility matters
Resilient technology isn’t just about user behaviour. Suppliers and integrators have a responsibility to:
- Build in secure-by-default design: segmentation, encryption, and access controls.
- Provide clear patching and update processes for the lifetime of their products.
- Ensure remote support is authenticated and auditable, not a hidden vulnerability.
For buyers, asking simple questions, “Is this system segregated from the internet?” or “How are updates applied?”, can expose important gaps before they become risks.
AI: a double-edged sword
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping cybersecurity. It accelerates the creation of realistic phishing campaigns, enables voice cloning, and scales malicious activity at unprecedented speed. But it also powers new defensive tools that improve detection and response.
The takeaway is clear: foundational cyber hygiene has never been more important. Updates, MFA, and segmentation blunt even AI-amplified attacks.
Practical steps organisations can take today
Cyber resilience doesn’t have to be complex. Start with five pragmatic measures:
- Update relentlessly: software and firmware updates often include critical
security patches. - Segment networks: keep building management and IoT systems separate from
corporate IT and the public internet. - Enable MFA: use multi-factor authentication for all apps, portals, and admin
accounts. - Be selective about connectivity: connect only what needs to be online.
- Choose vendors who prioritise security: those who publish advisories, deliver
regular patches, and clearly communicate their practices.
Sustainability and cybersecurity are not separate priorities. To achieve the outcomes we
want from green technologies, resilience must be designed in from the start.
By embedding cyber security into sustainability initiatives, organisations can protect
both the environment and the people who depend on these systems. Technology should
enable a greener future, not introduce new vulnerabilities.
Connect with the Bastion team to learn more