A new trend, not just in the Polish energy sector. Germany and the Czech Republic are next in line. "Stability is at stake."

• CSIRE (Central Information System for the Energy Market) is a key system for the Polish energy sector – its continuity of operation is a security priority, says Tomasz Bendlewski, Vice President of Asseco Poland.
• According to the WNP interlocutor, data centralization increases security, but also supports the development of flexible energy systems and renewable energy sources.
• Tomasz Bendlewski was a panelist during the Energy Days conference in Katowice.

CSIRE, the central information exchange system for the energy sector , collects billions of data points and is connected to tens of thousands of users. Ensuring its availability and efficiency is one of the most important challenges in the sector's digitalization process.

"We cannot allow this system to cease to function," emphasizes Tomasz Bendlewski, Vice President of Asseco Poland. "Cybersecurity and the protection of this system, ensuring its availability and efficiency, are becoming key challenges," he adds.

Security forces data centralization

Centralized information exchange systems, such as the Polish CSIRE, were not a priority in Western European countries just a few years ago.

"Economies like Germany and the Czech Republic weren't talking about implementing centralized systems like our CSIRE. Today, they're doing it," Bendlewski notes.

In his opinion, the main factor in this change has become security – both in the cyber and systemic dimensions .

The Vice President of Asseco Poland emphasizes that it's no longer just about protecting data and IT networks, but also about ensuring energy is accessible and affordable. Energy availability is a prerequisite for economic development and the competitiveness of the entire country.

Bendlewski connects this thread with the transition towards renewable energy sources (RES). He emphasizes that simply increasing the share of RES won't be enough if the system isn't sufficiently flexible. What matters is the ability to manage energy production and consumption in real time—using electricity when it's produced or storing it when production drops. CSIRE is expected to address this challenge.

Responsibility and security of your own software

Asseco is currently implementing five major CSIRE implementation projects, covering most of the domestic market. The company emphasizes its responsibility for the success of these projects.

– We work on critical infrastructure, we support many systems that are critical to the functioning of the state – says Bendlewski.

As the WNP interlocutor admits, an important part of Asseco's activities is also ensuring the security of the software created by the company.

– We put a lot of effort into producing our software in such a way that it is secure, so that unauthorized components do not lead to vulnerabilities in our software – emphasizes the vice president.