OT cybersecurity has become one of the most urgent priorities in energy operations, with 83% of energy, utilities, and resources executives now identifying cyber attacks as a serious or moderate risk to their business, compared to 77% of executives in other sectors.
That concern reflects a fundamental shift in the operating environment. Substations, pipelines, and grid control systems that were once largely isolated are now connected to enterprise IT, cloud platforms, remote access tools, and a growing ecosystem of third parties.
The technology to secure them exists. But the people who know how to run that technology inside an energy environment are much harder to find.
This widening gap between OT cyber risk and available talent is becoming a key business issue. Through our work with IT leaders in critical infrastructure, we’ve seen how it puts great pressure on operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and the reliability of essential services.
Why OT cybersecurity risk is rising in energy operations
Energy infrastructure was built for reliability rather than connectivity. Many control systems still in service today were designed decades ago, when physical isolation was the primary defence against cyber threats.
Digital transformation has fundamentally changed that operating model. Sensors and analytics platforms now connect directly to legacy equipment, improving visibility and efficiency, but also creating new entry points for attackers.
The consequences are becoming increasingly visible. In 2025, industrial ransomware incidents in the electric sector doubled, rising from 15 in Q1 to 31 in Q4. But the threat was even more noticeable across the energy sector. Oil and natural gas organizations recorded 49 ransomware incidents in Q4 alone, while renewables recorded nine.
Exposure is also widespread. Of nearly one million OT devices analyzed, 111,000 contained known exploited vulnerabilities. 68% of those vulnerabilities tied back to ransomware groups, and 40% of organizations had at least some affected assets exposed to the internet.
Although security maturity is improving, OT systems remain high-value targets. 50% of organizations reported experiencing at least one OT cybersecurity incident, while attackers are increasingly using phishing, malware, and AI-powered tactics to exploit operational weaknesses.
The attack entry points are expanding faster than many cybersecurity programs were designed to manage. And in OT environments, downtime can extend beyond data and networks to disrupt actual physical operations, affect grid reliability, and interrupt essential services.
How OT security differs from traditional IT security
IT security protects data. OT security protects physical assets and processes, so availability and safety come first instead of confidentiality.
OT environments also rely on older, highly specialized systems, including industrial control systems, SCADA platforms, and protocols that many IT teams have limited experience managing. Much of this equipment has been in service for more than a decade and cannot always be patched or updated without risking disruption.
The hardest OT cybersecurity skills to find
In OT cybersecurity, the challenge is often depth of expertise rather than headcount alone. Among the most difficult capabilities to build or hire for are:
- Senior OT security leadership. Experienced cybersecurity professionals are particularly difficult to recruit, and 55% of senior hires take six months or longer.
- Combined IT and OT expertise. Few professionals understand both cyber threats and operational systems well enough to reduce risk without compromising safety, uptime, or production.
- OT threat detection. Industrial environments require specialist skills to establish operational baselines and configure monitoring that can identify threats without overwhelming teams with irrelevant alerts.
- Legacy system knowledge. Critical knowledge of older, site-specific equipment is often concentrated among a small number of experienced engineers.
- OT incident response. Responding effectively requires cybersecurity expertise alongside an understanding of industrial processes, safety requirements, operational continuity, and physical consequences.
The scale of the shortage is common. Interestingly, two-thirds of organizations lack the talent and skills needed to meet their security requirements.
See where your organization stands on these talent gaps. Our Cloud Modernization and Talent Prioritization Assessment maps capability gaps directly to the roles that close them.
But the answer is not always another permanent hire. For many energy organizations, the more practical approach is to bring in specialist OT consultants for a defined period while strengthening internal capability at the same time.
How we support energy cybersecurity initiatives
S.i. Systems is one of Canada’s leading cybersecurity staffing companies, trusted by top enterprises to build cybersecurity teams across cloud security, SOC operations, identity and access management, and AI and ML cybersecurity.
Beyond staffing, we provide IT Business Consulting to help energy and critical infrastructure organizations define the approach, build the team, and close the OT security gaps that put their operations at risk.
Let’s talk about closing your OT cybersecurity talent gap.
