Enedis has become the newest member of the European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS), joining the mission to strengthen Europe’s energy sector cyber defences.
Cybersecurity is a strategic issue for Enedis to guarantee the continuity of electricity serving 37 million customers. The French power company manages the public electricity distribution network for 95% of continental France including 1.4 million km of network, and more than 31 million of “Linky” smart meters.
Bernard Cardebat, executive cybersecurity director, Enedis, comments: “Cybersecurity is a particularly demanding field that requires constant questioning of its practices and knowledge. ENCS has developed solid expertise in the field of cybersecurity for DSOs, which will help us to further strengthen our practices. I am thrilled that Enedis is joining the ENCS community made up of many European DSOs of different sizes. Creating links and working together will foster lasting dialogues and trust between cybersecurity actors. And where trust grows, cybersecurity will grow.”
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According to ENCS, Enedis joins in a year where many transformations in the European DSO cybersecurity sector are underway, such as the upcoming European Network Code Cybersecurity, and the revision of NIS & REC Directive, the ambitious development programme by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).
ENCS already works with a great number of electricity grid operators across Europe, sharing knowledge and expertise, providing security testing, consultancy and training services. With Enedis joining, a big step in harmonising best practices throughout Europe is at hand, as well as the opportunity for ENCS members and stakeholders to benefit from Enedis’ advanced security expertise.
Anjos Nijk, Managing Director, ENCS, comments: “Enedis is Europe’s largest DSO with sophisticated cybersecurity expertise. By joining ENCS, it underscores its commitment to improving cybersecurity even further. Enedis and ENCS together bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the table that European society as a whole will benefit from.”
According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future Series: Cybercrime 2025 initiative designed to address increasing cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, current cybersecurity mechanisms are outdated and are not in line with the fast-moving pace of digitalisation. With the rise in ransomware attacks and state-sponsored cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, it has never been more important for energy sector players to collaborate and share best practices.
