Energy sector organisations — spanning generation, transmission, distribution, and retail — operate complex OT/IT converged environments where a cyberattack on grid control systems can cause physical damage and widespread outages, as demonstrated by attacks on the Ukrainian power grid, Colonial Pipeline, and Oldsmar water treatment facility. NERC CIP standards mandate robust electronic security perimeters and access controls for bulk electric system assets, and Zero Trust architecture provides the continuous verification model that extends these controls beyond the CIP electronic security perimeter to remote access, cloud-connected SCADA, and third-party operator access.
Related: Zero Trust for OT · NERC CIP · SCADA · Utilities · Pipelines