Hackers targeted the email account of a manager at the Birr reserve power plant in Switzerland. The attackers sent phishing emails to Swiss suppliers and business partners of Prismecs. These emails tried to trick recipients into clicking malicious links to compromise their systems. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy confirmed the cyberattack on Prismecs, a US-based company operating the power plant in Switzerland.
The Birr power plant is critical infrastructure for Switzerland’s energy security.
The plant uses eight gas turbines producing 250 megawatts to support the Swiss power grid in emergencies. The plant’s contract runs until the end of 2026, with plans to replace it by 2030. The federal government is building five additional reserve plants running on CO2-neutral fuel across Switzerland to improve energy security.
Prismecs and its partner GE Vernova have remained largely silent about the cyberattack. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy said the power plant’s systems were not compromised, and supply security was unaffected. The incident revealed how vulnerable even critical infrastructure is to cyberattacks.
It highlighted risks from hackers accessing a manager’s email account to gather sensitive information.
Since April 2025, Swiss law requires critical infrastructure operators to report cyberattacks within 24 hours. It remains unclear if Prismecs or GE Vernova reported the attack. This attack follows other operational problems at the Birr plant, including delays and fire damage. The federal government continues to rely on the Birr plant as a temporary solution while expanding reserve capacity across Switzerland.
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