Cybersecurity Questions for Energy Providers

The energy sector is experiencing some sizable changes. Over the past year, global conditions have continued to challenge even the strongest of energy providers. Cybersecurity attacks are becoming more cultivated and operative. Every 39 seconds, a threat actor targets a business’s cybersecurity infrastructure and a 600% increase since 2021.

Questions You Should Be Asking 

As an IT Director/C-Level leader at an energy provider, there are some questions to repeatedly ask of yourself, team and systems. 

1. How will your employees meet customer demands and expectations, while evolving in diverse and sensitive information technology and operational technology environments?  

Each customer may have a unique idea of cybersecurity risk and assessment. Offering your employees, a mix of guidance and awareness alongside technical instruction can ensure that they and their devices will not become the transmitter of a cybersecurity incident. This training should also include an awareness of all cybersecurity incidents detected and reported within accordance of your organization’s standards, policies and procedures. This initiative should be formalized in official recognition and required for all employees, such as a ‘cyber-secure badge certificate recipient’. 

2. Are you monitoring solutions’ vulnerabilities throughout their entire lifecycle and aligning with the latest standards and regulations to guarantee high level security?

Developing a vulnerability-handling process based on compliance, business and safety risks to prioritize and remediate the vulnerabilities in a timely manner is significant. To go even further, communicate with researchers and customers to ensure both collaboration and transparency, say through an agreed upon portal. And how often are you reviewing, fine-tuning these processes? Reviewing at once every five years will not cut it, you will need to consider annual and bi-annual examinations.

As unsettling as this is, we are in the midst of a revolution for creating fortified systems and processes against cyber-attacks. 

Sheffield Scientific: Leading the Change in Cyber Security

Sheffield Scientific has developed significant NIST and ISO-based cyber security experience working with US Federal Government agencies and utility (electric, water & nuclear) industry sectors. Our staff is experienced with a variety of IT and OT systems used by utilities that can perform cyber security assessments, plant assessment & walk-down activities and program implementation.

If you are asking yourself cybersecurity questions, it is time to contact Sheffield Scientific.