Adapting Telemetry for Cyber-Physical Continuous Verification in Cameroon’s Energy Sector

International audience The increasing digitalization of power systems has amplified cybersecurity vulnerabilities in many African countries, where legacy grid infrastructures now interface with modern operational technologies. This study applies an adapted Behavioral Analytics–Zero Trust Continuous Verification (ABA-ZTCV) framework to evaluate cyber-physical risks within Cameroon’s energy distribution network. The research integrates real-time feeder telemetry, anomaly detection techniques, and topology-aware verification processes to examine how continuous monitoring can strengthen resilience against emerging cyber threats. Using operational data from selected distribution feeders, the study models deviations in load behavior, identifies irregular operational patterns, and evaluates the capacity of automated verification mechanisms to flag and isolate potentially harmful anomalies. The findings show that a behavioral-driven verification approach provides earlier detection of suspicious operational shifts, supports faster incident response, and reduces the likelihood of undetected system manipulation. The framework further demonstrates how telemetry-informed verification can enhance situational awareness, reinforce access-control decisions, and support reliability improvements in resource-constrained environments. This work contributes to the growing body of cyber-physical security research in sub-Saharan Africa by offering a practical, data-driven methodology tailored to regions where infrastructural vulnerabilities, limited monitoring capacity, and increasing threat sophistication intersect. Beyond Cameroon, the proposed approach has broader relevance for developing energy systems across Africa and other emerging economies seeking scalable and cost-effective models for continuous verification. The study highlights the need for real-time analytics, layered trust models, and adaptive verification practices as foundational elements for securing modern power infrastructure in an evolving global threat landscape.