Humans, not rogue AI, are still the biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems
Humans, not rogue AI, are still the biggest cybersecurity risk to energy systems — and the gap is widening.
Why it matters
As AI capabilities advance, the narrative around AI-driven catastrophic risk can obscure the immediate, proven threat: human-directed cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. This matters for practitioners deploying AI in security roles and policymakers designing guardrails.
The key facts
9 to knowJoshua Corman (IST) frames energy systems as 'surviving at the appetite of predators'
Recent high-profile AI-related hacks mentioned but human actors remain the primary threat
DHS warning: Iranian actors targeting US energy infrastructure via cyberattack
Published Sep 20, 2026 (appears to be future-dated; treat with caution on verification)
Joshua Corman (IST) on human actors as primary threat vector
DHS warning on Iranian cyberattack threat to US energy
Recent 'rogue AI' incidents cited but framed as secondary risk
Energy sector vulnerability growing despite increased AI focus
Human error and insider risk remain dominant attack surface
Go to the source
The Verge AItheverge.com
Publisher excerpt: Before recent high-profile hacks raised the specter of AI possibly "killing all humans," our energy systems were already disturbingly vulnerable to cyberattack - and the risk is growing. "We were always prey. We were just kind of surviving at the appetite of our predators," Joshua Corman, executive…
