Securing Blockchain Solutions in the Energy Sector: Mitigating Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

The energy sector faces expanding risks associated with Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). These incidents pose challenges for securing power generation, distribution, and other operations that rely on Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technologies. Entities have employed diversified defensive measures, but attackers continue to refine and perpetuate long-duration intrusions. Blockchain has attracted attention as a potential solution to preserve data integrity, decentralize trust, and ensure tamper resistance, thus helping organizations detect and mitigate advanced cyberattacks. This chapter explores the role of blockchain in protecting energy infrastructures against APTs, drawing on relevant literature, regulatory reports, and technical studies. It reviews blockchain fundamentals, elaborates on how this technology can disrupt the APT intrusion lifecycle, and outlines a conceptual framework for integrating blockchain into ICS architectures. Considerations for scalability, governance, interoperability, and policy are discussed.