A cybersecurity assessment of a battery energy storage system (BESS) integrated with a SCADA network revealed critical vulnerabilities despite some strong external protections. While communications to the SCADA system were secured using TLS and well-configured containerized environments, internal weaknesses posed significant risks. Unauthenticated MQTT communications allowed potential injection of malicious data, and poor network segmentation enabled lateral movement within the system. Testing with a simulated battery demonstrated how attackers could exploit these gaps to disrupt grid operations. The case highlights the importance of internal authentication, encryption, segmentation, and defense-in-depth strategies in securing industrial control environments.

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