How utilities work together to guard against cyberattacks

October is National Cybersecurity Month, but for utility employees at Entergy, security is central to our everyday work.

The term “shared threat landscape” is often used by cybersecurity experts. But what does it mean?

A shared threat landscape means many organizations face similar cyber risks. These include threats to outdated systems that run operations, as well as risks tied to supply chain and vendors. Attackers often use familiar methods such as phishing, ransomware, insider compromise and planting false data. Because systems are connected both physically and digitally, vulnerabilities in one area can quickly spread to others.

What shared defenses look like

Because threats are shared, defenses can, and should, be shared too. Here are ways we as utilities can protect ourselves and support one another:

• Shared strategy/collective approach: Utilities share details about cyber threats and attacks, learn from each other’s incidents and participate in industry-wide drills and exercises. We manage physical and cybersecurity threats as an enterprise risk through close coordination with federal, state and local partners.
• Benchmarking and standards: Following security best practices, utilities conduct regular audits and set common protections for systems, vendors and remote access to help strengthen defenses across the industry.
• Incident response planning: Each utility needs a clear incident response plan that outlines roles, recovery steps and communications. Testing these plans regularly is key.
• Shared technology solutions: By working together, we invest in stronger defenses such as anomaly detection, strict access controls and shared monitoring platforms.
• Training and awareness: Ongoing training helps our employees spot phishing emails, understand remote access risks and recognize unusual activity. Cross-utility workshops, sharing training materials and attack simulations build stronger defenses across the sector.

In today’s interconnected world, no utility stands alone. At Entergy, we recognize our risks are shared, and so is our responsibility to defend against them. By recognizing common threats and working together through information sharing, strong security practices and coordinated response planning, we can strengthen the entire sector.

The shared threat landscape reminds us that cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting one company, but about safeguarding the grid and the communities we serve.