87% of Utilities Have Experienced at Least One Data Breach in Last Three Years

Utility companies present as vulnerable targets to data breaches because they control essential basic societal needs – not to mention they own customer data ranging from payment methods to personal information.

Hackers like energy and utility companies because “all the entry points are tied to regional grids or supervisory control and data acquisition networks.”

Research from Skybox Security found that 87% of utilities have experienced at least one security breach in the past 36 months. One example worth highlighting is the attack on a U.S.-based utility that resulted in a loss of 90% of its internal systems and wiped out 25 years of historical data.

Despite 87% of utility companies facing a breach, the same study found that 71% of utility organizations are highly confident that they will not experience a breach next year.

In theory, utility companies understand the need to protect themselves from hackers. However, many organizations are still trying to figure out how to incorporate managed detection and response into their existing IT infrastructure.

Read more on Dimensional Insights.