The electric grid is undergoing rapid digital transformation. As utilities invest in advanced sensing, automation, and asset monitoring technologies, they are also introducing new risks. One of the most pressing is increased exposure to cyber threats.
Remote monitoring platforms that provide 24/7 visibility into substations, transformers, and transmission infrastructure are now essential tools for utility operators. As these systems become more integrated with enterprise IT, analytics platforms, and SCADA environments, they also expand the digital footprint and create more opportunities for exploitation.
Executives in Asset Management and Planning must ensure that performance, visibility, and operational efficiency are balanced with cybersecurity, resilience, and risk mitigation at every stage of deployment.
The Expanding Threat Landscape for Electric Utilities
In recent years, cyberattacks targeting utilities and critical infrastructure have become more frequent, more sophisticated, and more impactful. These attacks often exploit vulnerabilities in connected devices, remote access pathways, and insufficient network segmentation. The goal is to gain control over critical systems, extract sensitive operational data, or cause disruptions to grid operations. Some examples:
1. Ukraine (2022): Coordinated Cyber-Physical Attack
In October 2022, the Russian state-affiliated group Sandworm targeted a Ukrainian utility using native tools already present on the network. This resulted in a blackout that coincided with missile strikes on critical infrastructure. The attack demonstrated the increasing use of cyber operations to support physical warfare objectives.
2. Global (2023): Iranian CyberAv3ngers Target ICS
CyberAv3ngers, affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, launched campaigns against industrial control systems across multiple sectors. Their actions disrupted operations and exposed system vulnerabilities in several countries, highlighting the global scope of OT-related threats.
3. North America (2024): Surge in Attacks
By August 2024, cyberattacks on North American utilities had increased by 70 percent compared to the previous year, with more than 1,100 incidents reported. Analysts pointed to outdated software, limited cybersecurity investment, and rapid expansion of remote connectivity as key contributors to this rise in incidents.
Remote Monitoring and the Modern Cybersecurity Challenge
Remote monitoring systems are crucial for enabling condition-based maintenance, reducing travel to the site, and improving asset reliability. However, each sensor, communications module, and remote access point introduces new vectors of cyber risk.
These systems are typically deployed in remote and often unstaffed environments. They must communicate continuously with central operations, and in many cases, with cloud-based data platforms. Without adequate cybersecurity controls, these systems can be exploited to access broader OT environments, interfere with critical functions, or transmit false data.
Best Practices for Securing Remote Monitoring Systems
Utilities can successfully integrate remote monitoring into their operations by designing with security in mind from the start. The following best practices provide a strong foundation for the deployment of remote monitoring systems.
1. Secure Network Architecture
Design monitoring networks to be logically and physically separated from corporate IT systems. Use firewalls and virtual LANs to control communication between systems and reduce exposure. Ensure that remote monitoring traffic flows through controlled connection points where access can be filtered and audited.
2. Identity and Access Management
Apply role-based access controls and require multifactor authentication for all users. Access should be limited to essential personnel and reviewed regularly, especially when working with third-party vendors.
3. Data Encryption
Encrypt all communications between field devices, processing units, and central systems using current encryption standards. Data stored on monitoring hardware or at rest in the cloud should also be encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
4. Patching and Firmware Management
Monitoring hardware often operates in remote or unattended locations. Develop a routine process for secure firmware updates and patching to prevent the exploitation of known vulnerabilities.
5. Centralized Logging and Alerting
Implement centralized logging that captures activity across all connected devices. Monitor these logs for suspicious patterns or unauthorized access attempts, and integrate alerting with existing cybersecurity or operations teams.
6. Hardened Configuration
Devices should be securely configured before deployment. Change default credentials, disable unnecessary services, and enforce strong password policies to minimize the chance of unauthorized access.
7. Integrated Incident Response
Include remote monitoring systems in your organization’s incident response plans. This ensures quick action in the event of a cyber incident that originates from or targets a connected device in the field.
Turning Monitoring Systems into a Cybersecurity Asset
When deployed securely, remote monitoring solutions do more than support maintenance and operations. They can also serve as early warning systems against both physical and cyber threats.
Visual and thermal sensors can detect unauthorized access, unexpected environmental changes, or tampering with high-voltage equipment. Combined with automated alerting and centralized management, these systems provide valuable forensic and situational data that support faster response times and better threat containment.
In other words, secure monitoring is not just a safeguard. It becomes an active part of the utility’s defence-in-depth strategy.
Digital transformation is bringing substantial benefits to grid reliability, asset longevity, and operational insight. However, as utilities move toward greater connectivity and automation, they must also elevate their approach to cybersecurity.
Remote monitoring systems must be secure by design, with layered protections that address both current and emerging threats. Planning teams should treat cybersecurity not as a technical bolt-on, but as an operational requirement from the outset.
In a time of increased geopolitical uncertainty and cyber aggression, protecting grid infrastructure is more than a best practice. It is a foundational responsibility. Secure remote monitoring is one of the most effective tools utilities can implement to fulfill that responsibility and ensure the reliable delivery of electricity in the years ahead.