The fourth D-HYDROFLEX webinar, “Cybersecurity and the Role of AI”, took place on 27 May 2026, bringing together experts from the D-HYDROFLEX and Di-Hydro projects to discuss how artificial intelligence and security-by-design approaches can strengthen the resilience of digitalised hydropower systems.
The session opened with a presentation of the #F-Box, an intelligent security and monitoring platform developed within D-HYDROFLEX. The platform and its role in strengthening cybersecurity in increasingly connected hydropower plants were presented by Dimitris Asimopoulos (METAMIND INNOVATIONS). The need for advanced protection mechanisms capable of detecting cyber threats in real time was also highlighted. The presentation showcased how #F-Box combines artificial intelligence, deep learning and federated learning to monitor OT network traffic and identify malicious activity while preserving data privacy. Participants learned how hydropower plants can collaboratively improve intrusion detection models without sharing sensitive operational data.
Next presentation, delivered by Nikolaos Papadakis (Télécom SudParis / Institut Mines-Télécom) on behalf of the Di-Hydro project, focused on proactive Security-by-Design for Federated Data Spaces. He explained how increasing interoperability and data sharing create new cybersecurity challenges and highlighted the importance of integrating security from the earliest stages of system design. The SHIELD framework, developed as part of the project, uses attack graph analysis and trust-based communication mechanisms to identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and support secure collaboration between interconnected systems, demonstrating how cybersecurity can be embedded directly into future data-sharing ecosystems from the earliest stages of their design.
The webinar concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where participants discussed AI-driven cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure, and the balance between data sharing, privacy and trust.
💡 Key Takeaways 💡
• Cybersecurity is becoming a key component of resilient and digitalised hydropower operations.
• AI-powered intrusion detection can strengthen protection against emerging cyber threats.
• Federated learning enables collaborative security improvements without exposing sensitive operational data.
• Security-by-Design approaches help build secure and trustworthy federated data spaces from the outset.
• Attack graph analysis and trust-based mechanisms support proactive risk assessment and mitigation.
Stay tuned for more insights in upcoming D-HYDROFLEX webinars as we continue to explore the digital future of sustainable hydropower.
If you missed this session, you can watch the recording and check the presentations for more details.
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