DigiCert secures Australia’s growing energy network

DigiCert, a global leader in intelligent trust, has been selected by the National Energy Public Key Infrastructure (NEPKI) to provide the digital certificate infrastructure that enables rooftop solar and battery systems to communicate securely with electricity distribution networks across Australia. The initial deployment will help devices and network operators verify each other’s identities and help protect the data and emergency control commands they exchange.

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More than 4.2 million Australian homes have rooftop solar, and the growing adoption of home batteries, smart inverters, and electric vehicle chargers is making households increasingly important to Australia’s energy system.  As more devices connect and communicate with the grid, securing these connections is critical to maintaining grid stability and protecting Australia’s energy infrastructure and consumers.

The National Energy PKI was established as a not-for-profit to provide a consistent national framework for digital identity in the energy sector. This first use case creates a common way for energy devices, manufacturers, distribution network operators, energy retailers, and technology providers to authenticate and communicate securely within the ecosystem. Since launch, 44 solar and battery manufacturers have been onboarded and account for approximately 94% of the Australian market.

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“Australia’s energy transition has moved quickly, and the cybersecurity systems supporting it are now set up to keep pace,” said Naomi Wynn, CEO of the National Energy PKI. “With millions of devices connecting to our electricity grid, Australia must have a harmonized, sovereign and cyber secure approach. The National Energy PKI ensures devices can communicate securely across different distribution networks while reducing complexity, duplication, and potential security gaps. By establishing a common national framework, we’re helping build a more resilient and cyber secure energy system that can support the next generation of connected energy technologies.”

Following a rigorous selection process, the National Energy PKI selected DigiCert to provide the expertise and PKI infrastructure to support secure communications under the Common Smart Inverter Profile-Australia (CSIP-AUS) standard, enabling consistent device authentication across participating networks.

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“As critical infrastructure becomes more connected, protecting individual systems is no longer enough,” said Daniel Sutherland, Area Vice President, ANZ at DigiCert. “Millions of devices are becoming active participants in the Australian electricity system. Each needs a trusted identity and a way to verify that instructions come from an authorized source and haven’t been altered. Through our work with the National Energy PKI, DigiCert Device Trust Manager is helping lay a shared foundation that automates certificate renewals and can move to quantum-resistant cryptography without being rebuilt.”