Overview
Energy and utility contractors face cybersecurity obligations shaped by critical-infrastructure protection — most notably the NERC CIP standards for the bulk electric system — plus DOE requirements and the realities of securing operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS).
NERC CIP
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation's Critical Infrastructure Protection standards are mandatory, enforceable reliability standards for entities that own or operate the bulk electric system. They cover asset categorization, security management controls, personnel and training, electronic and physical security perimeters, incident reporting, and recovery planning. Penalties for violations can be significant.
DOE and Federal Contracting Requirements
DOE contracts — including national-laboratory work — carry agency cybersecurity requirements, and where CUI is involved, NIST SP 800-171 applies. Critical-infrastructure incident reporting under CIRCIA is also on the horizon as that rule is finalized.
OT/ICS Security
Unlike IT systems, OT/ICS environments prioritize availability and safety, run long-lived equipment, and tolerate downtime poorly. Frameworks such as NIST SP 800-82 (ICS security) guide protections like network segmentation between IT and OT, strict remote-access control, and monitoring tuned for control-system protocols.
What to Do Next
Map which of your systems fall under NERC CIP versus federal contract requirements, segment IT from OT, and align overlapping controls. Start with Find My Requirements.
Sources
- NERC CIP Reliability Standards (nerc.com); DOE cybersecurity guidance (energy.gov); NIST SP 800-82; CISA/CIRCIA materials