{"id":4916,"date":"2026-06-04T09:11:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T07:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicfinance.undp.sk\/2026\/06\/04\/accrual-accounting_mne-svk-copy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T00:00:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T22:00:31","slug":"cybersecurity_energy-sector_workshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicfinance.undp.sk\/en\/2026\/06\/04\/cybersecurity_energy-sector_workshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Slovakia Hosted Regional Workshop on Cybersecurity in the Energy Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Held on 3\u20134 June<\/span>\u00a02026<\/span>\u00a0in Slovakia, a regional workshop brought together representatives from six countries across government, cybersecurity\u00a0<\/span>authorities<\/span>\u00a0and the energy sector to strengthen the protection of critical energy infrastructure against growing cyber threats.<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Cybersecurity has become a central policy and security concern of our time, while energy infrastructure\u00a0remains\u00a0one of the most critical sectors\u00a0for\u00a0national stability and economic functioning.<\/p>\n

At the same time, as energy systems become increasingly digitalized and interconnected, their exposure to cyber threats has grown significantly, making cybersecurity an integral\u00a0component\u00a0of energy security and resilience policy.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, the regional initiative\u00a0<\/span>Cybersecurity for a Resilient Digital Future<\/span><\/i>, implemented by UNDP under the Public and Private Finance for Development (PPFD) project funded by the Slovak Ministry of Finance, provides a timely and practical response. The initiative supports partner countries in strengthening cybersecurity resilience, improving institutional capacities, and fostering regional cooperation in protecting critical infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n

From national challenges to shared responses<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

The workshop in Bratislava took place at a time when critical infrastructure protection has become increasingly central across the Western Balkans. Governments across the region have been advancing efforts to identify, designate, and regulate operators of essential services in line with European Union standards. The project supports countries in translating cybersecurity commitments into practical frameworks, processes and cooperation mechanisms that strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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Miroslav Pikus, UNDP cybersecurity consultant<\/p><\/div>\n

As Miroslav Pikus, UNDP Regional Cybersecurity Consultant, noted during his presentation, \u201cLegislation is progressing, but the true battlefield is operational reality, human talent and architectural resilience.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The workshop\u00a0brought together more than\u00a030\u00a0participants from\u00a0Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North\u00a0Macedonia\u00a0and Slovakia. They\u00a0represented\u00a0energy ministries, national cybersecurity authorities, state-owned energy companies as well as private sector.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Participants learned about the Slovak approach to cybersecurity in the energy sector and explored Slovak models of public\u2013private partnerships. Latest developments, the European Union\u2019s NIS2 Directive, and the impact of artificial intelligence on cybersecurity were among the topics presented by Slovak experts.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Milo\u0161 Bedn\u00e1r, Corporate and Cyber Security Manager at Slovensk\u00e9 elektr\u00e1rne<\/a>, the largest electricity producer in Slovakia, focused on AI models, data protection and the vulnerabilities they may introduce. He also presented case studies illustrating where AI can provide meaningful support in security operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Voices from the cybersecurity workshop<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mr.\u00a0Octavian Ciobirca, Deputy General Director at SE\u00a0Moldelectrica<\/a>\u00a0in Moldova\u00a0also expressed his appreciation, noting:\u00a0\u201cOur most urgent priority is closing that gap through the practical measures\u00a0we’ve\u00a0outlined: enforcing proper monitoring and access controls, and crucially, training our people.\u00a0This workshop\u00a0confirmed\u00a0for me that we are not alone in this challenge, and that regional cooperation is not optional but essential for a small country like Moldova sitting at the crossroads of Europe’s energy map”.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Executive Director of the In<\/span>dependent System Operator in Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/span><\/span><\/a> Mr. Muhamed Mujaki\u0107 also underlined the value of Slovak experience and regional cooperation, stating: \u201c<\/span>The biggest takeaway from Slovakia was their practical approach to NIS2 compliance, both in terms of how institutions operate and how they organize themselves. Their emphasis on working closely with specialized incident response teams really stood out. This workshop was\u00a0a great opportunity\u00a0to see how we measure up against regional peers, while also creating direct channels for sharing threat intelligence across\u00a0borders.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Participants from government institutions\u00a0and private sector\u00a0included:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a representative of the Cybersecurity Agency of Montenegro,\u00a0Ms.\u00a0<\/span>Jelena Rai\u010devi\u0107<\/span>\u00a0found the presentation of the Slovak National Security Authority<\/a> partic<\/span>ularly\u00a0interesting and\u00a0relevant\u00a0for the Western Balkans and Montenegro.<\/span>\u00a0\u201cOne especially valuable practice is the mandatory self-identification of\u00a0organizations\u00a0with the NSA,\u00a0which places the responsibility for cybersecurity on the entities themselves.\u201d\u00a0She also\u00a0stressed that\u00a0the workshop was a great \u201copportunity to learn about good practices from EU member states such as Slovakia, which already have mature systems and well-established operational Agency.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n