INSIGHT

Cybersecurity Strategy for Utility Operations Teams: Building a Defense That Works 

Ryan Ferran, Josh Schmidt • January 8, 2026

Services: Cybersecurity Services

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Every day, utility operations teams keep the lights on, water flowing, and gas moving through pipelines. At the same time, they must defend against sophisticated cyberattacks that could disrupt these essential services. A single breach doesn’t just affect your company, it impacts entire communities that depend on reliable utilities. 

8 Steps to Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Strategy 

Your operations team needs a cybersecurity strategy that protects critical infrastructure while maintaining the service reliability your customers expect. This article will walk you through practical steps to strengthen your security posture, from building the right team culture to implementing technical safeguards that work. 

1. Start With Your People, Not Your Technology 

Technology alone won’t protect your utility. The strongest cybersecurity strategy begins with people who understand the threats and know how to respond. Your operations team interacts with critical systems every day, making them your first line of defense against attacks. 

Create a security-first culture across your organization. This means moving beyond annual training sessions that employees forget within weeks. Instead, build ongoing awareness into daily operations. When your team reviews system logs, conducts equipment inspections, or troubleshoots issues, they should think about security implications. 

“If OT staff are reluctant to adopt cyber security principles the best way to bring them on board is to demonstrate exploitation of the vulnerabilities operations chooses to expose. Additionally, describe the bigger cyber picture to OT staff so they can envision vulnerabilities chained together across the boundaries of their specific purview. This creates the full path for an attacker to write changes to SCADA systems and will show operations the precarious state of the OT/SCADA network.” – Ryan Ferran  

A joint study from Stanford University Professor Jeff Hancock and security firm Tessian revealed that 88% of data breach incidents are caused by employees’ mistakes. Your operations team needs practical knowledge about phishing emails, social engineering tactics, and suspicious system behavior. Make training relevant to their specific roles. A field technician needs different security knowledge than a control room operator. 

Hold monthly security discussions during team meetings. Share recent incidents from the utility sector to help your team recognize attack patterns. When staff understand how hackers exploit staging targets like third-party vendors, they become more vigilant about vendor access to your systems. 

2. Build Your Cybersecurity Council 

Your utility operations require a dedicated team focused on security. Form a cross-functional cybersecurity council that brings together operations, IT, engineering, and leadership. This council serves as the strategic hub for all security decisions affecting your operational technology. 

The council should meet regularly to assess threats specific to utility operations. Unlike corporate IT systems, operational technology controls physical processes. A breach in your SCADA system or control center communications could disrupt service delivery or create safety hazards.  

“Committees, councils, and general governance comes natural, but if real-world change is the problem create or assign cyber security duties to OT staff directly. Appointing an OT cyber security champion with security responsibilities will drive better security practices. You should expect your champion to liaise with IT, especially for implementation.” – Ryan Ferran 

Your council needs clear responsibilities. They should evaluate emerging threats, prioritize security investments, and ensure operational technology receives the same protection as business systems. Make sure the council includes operations personnel who understand how your systems actually work. Security measures that sound good in theory can interfere with operations if you don’t involve the people who use these systems daily. 

Senior leadership must actively support the council’s work. When executives prioritize cybersecurity, they send a message that security matters as much as uptime and efficiency. This support also ensures the council has resources to implement necessary changes.  

3. Secure Your Supply Chain 

Hackers increasingly target utilities through their vendors. These attacks work because third-party suppliers often have weaker security than the utilities they serve. A vendor with legitimate access to your systems becomes a pathway for attackers to reach your critical infrastructure. 

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s CIP-013-1 standard addresses this risk. You need plans that cover software integrity, vendor remote access, procurement controls, and risk management. But compliance alone isn’t enough. 

Start by examining every vendor relationship. Which suppliers have remote access to your operational systems? What security measures do they maintain? Include specific security requirements in all contracts and requests for proposals. Better yet, tie vendor payments to validated security controls. This approach motivates vendors to take your security requirements seriously. 

For hardware and software from overseas manufacturers, require tamper-evident packaging and tracked shipments with certified signatures. Create an audit trail from the vendor’s facility to your site. While this seems demanding, remember that sophisticated attackers target supply chains precisely because they offer easier access than direct attacks on utilities. 

Before granting any vendor access to your network, conduct thorough background checks on their employees. Use only secure, encrypted connections from vendor networks. Review the vendor’s own security policies to understand how well they can protect data and interconnections between systems. Request documentation of attestation for your vendors’ most recent security assessment.  

4. Protect Your Operational Technology 

Your operational technology runs on different principles than traditional IT systems. Control systems prioritize availability and reliability over security updates. Many systems run on legacy platforms that weren’t designed with modern cyber threats in mind. 

Map out all ports, services, and protocols your operational systems use. Only enable the specific ports and services necessary for operations. Disable unused network ports and services on all devices. This reduces the attack surface available to hackers attempting unauthorized access. 

Implement a strict patch management process for operational systems. Track every security update from your vendors. Test patches thoroughly in a controlled environment before deploying them to production systems. Patches can sometimes cause unexpected behavior or downtime, so you need to balance security against operational availability. 

Use network segmentation to isolate critical operational systems from business networks. If attackers compromise your email or financial systems, they shouldn’t be able to pivot to systems controlling physical infrastructure. Deploy firewalls and intrusion detection systems at these boundaries to monitor traffic and block unauthorized access. 

5. Monitor and Detect Threats Continuously 

You can’t defend against threats you don’t see. Modern threat detection uses automation and artificial intelligence to identify suspicious activity across your operational networks. These tools analyze patterns, flag anomalies, and alert your security team to potential breaches.  

Configure your systems to send alerts when specific events occur, such as failed login attempts, unusual data transfers, configuration changes, or system errors. These alerts enable your operations team to respond quickly to potential security incidents. 

Deploy a Security Incident Response Team that operates as part of your cybersecurity council. This team owns the process for detecting, containing, and recovering from security incidents. They should conduct regular training exercises that simulate cyberattacks on your operational systems. 

6. Test Your Defenses Regularly 

Security audits reveal weaknesses before attackers exploit them. Schedule vulnerability assessments and penetration testing at least annually, though quarterly testing provides better protection. These tests should include both your IT and operational technology environments. 

Hire third-party security auditors who specialize in utility infrastructure. They bring fresh perspectives and knowledge of current attack techniques. Internal teams can miss vulnerabilities they’ve grown accustomed to seeing. 

Test your incident response plans through tabletop exercises and live simulations. When an actual attack occurs, your team won’t have time to figure out procedures. Regular testing ensures everyone knows their role and can execute the response plan efficiently. 

7. Strengthen Access Controls 

Strong passwords and proper access management form a fundamental security layer. Operations teams often share credentials to maintain system access during shift changes or emergencies. This practice creates security gaps. 

Implement unique credentials for every user, including operations personnel, administrators, and vendors. Use role-based access controls that grant permissions based on job responsibilities. A field technician shouldn’t have the same system access as a control room supervisor. 

Generate complex passwords longer than 14 characters with mixed letters, numbers, and special characters. Deploy a password manager that securely stores credentials and enables appropriate sharing across operations teams. This approach balances security with operational needs. 

Add two-factor authentication for access to critical systems. This extra layer stops attackers who steal or guess passwords. Even if someone obtains valid credentials, they can’t access systems without the second authentication factor. 

8. Plan for Recovery 

Despite strong defenses, you must prepare for potential breaches. Implement comprehensive data backup systems that create regular copies of critical configuration data, system settings, and operational information. Store backups in secure, offline locations or encrypted cloud storage. 

Develop detailed recovery plans that outline steps for restoring operations after a cyberattack. These plans should address different scenarios, such as ransomware, data theft, control system compromise, or infrastructure damage. Assign specific responsibilities so everyone knows what to do during recovery. 

Test your backup and recovery procedures regularly. A backup system that fails when you need it provides false security. Make sure your operations team can actually restore systems from backups within your target recovery time. 

Learn more about our Cybersecurity Services

Partner with BPM for Stronger Cybersecurity Strategy  

Building and maintaining a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy requires specialized knowledge and ongoing attention. Your operations team focuses on delivering reliable utility services – adding cybersecurity responsibilities can stretch resources thin and leave gaps in your defenses. 

BPM works with utility operations teams to strengthen cybersecurity posture while maintaining operational efficiency. We understand the unique challenges facing utilities, from legacy system constraints to regulatory compliance requirements. Our team helps you build security programs that protect critical infrastructure without interfering with day-to-day operations. To discuss how we can help your operations team defend against evolving threats while maintaining the service reliability your customers depend on, contact us.