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For CISOs, protecting critical infrastructure now means defending both the business and national stability.
As energy and utilities modernise through digital transformation, their attack surface expands.
When the lights go out, it’s not just an inconvenience – it’s a crisis. Power grids, water systems, and gas networks are the backbone of modern life, and increasingly, they’re under siege. For CISOs in the energy and utilities sector, cyber security has become a matter of public trust and national security.
Digital transformation is reshaping the industry. Smart grids, IoT sensors, and connected control systems are improving efficiency and reliability, but they’re also blurring the line between IT and operational technology (OT). The result is an environment where once-isolated systems are now connected, accessible, and worryingly vulnerable.
Traditionally, OT systems were designed for safety and reliability, not for cyber resilience. Many still run on decades-old software and rely on proprietary protocols. However, by integrating them with modern IT networks, we’ve created fertile ground for attackers. What was once air-gapped is now accessible via remote maintenance systems, cloud platforms, and mobile apps.
Not just theory
The threat isn’t theoretical. From the 2015 cyber attack on Ukraine’s power grid to the Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident, adversaries have shown they can disrupt real-world operations. State-sponsored actors view critical infrastructure as strategic targets, while financially motivated criminals recognise its potential leverage.
A single compromise can ripple across industries, economies, and borders.
For CISOs, the first priority is visibility. You can’t defend what you can’t see, goes the refrain, and many organisations still don’t possess a complete inventory of their connected assets. Continuous discovery, network segmentation, and strict access controls are not just good ideas; they’re essential. OT environments should be monitored as closely as IT networks, with intrusion detection systems tuned specifically for industrial protocols.
Equally critical is collaboration. Security teams can’t work in isolation from engineers, operations, or safety personnel. OT environments have unique constraints – patching a control system can’t be done during peak energy demand, and downtime might be measured in megawatts lost. CISOs must build trust with operational teams, ensuring that security controls don’t jeopardise uptime or safety.
The biggest picture
Resilience must replace the illusion of perfection. Preventing every attack is impossible, but designing for recovery is not. That means robust incident response plans tailored to mixed IT/OT environments, tested through joint exercises that include plant operators and emergency management teams. Regular backups of control system configurations – and clear processes for restoring them – are essential.
Supply chain security is another growing challenge. Many critical systems depend on specialised vendors whose software or components could be compromised upstream. CISOs should treat vendor access as an extension of their own risk surface, enforcing least-privilege principles and requiring transparency into third-party security practices.
Regulators are also tightening expectations. Frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27019, and IEC 62443 set baselines for industrial cyber security, while national resilience initiatives increasingly demand proof of preparedness. Compliance alone, however, isn’t the goal – it’s the floor, not the ceiling.
True resilience comes from culture, leadership, and proactive investment.
To get the board and executives on side, that investment must be framed in business terms. Every hour of downtime represents lost revenue, regulatory exposure, and public backlash. CISOs who can quantify these risks in financial language will find greater support. Cyber security in this sector isn’t a technology expense – it’s an operational insurance policy.
Ultimately, energy and utilities security is about more than protecting data. It’s about safeguarding communities, economies, and essential services. The stakes are higher than in almost any other industry.
As the grid grows smarter, so must its defenders.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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