Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), a leading sustainable energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced that it achieved a security score of 98 from SecurityScorecard, a global leader in cybersecurity ratings that evaluates the threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations of over 25,000 companies. Avangrid’s score, significantly higher than the energy industry average of 86, demonstrates the Company’s commitment to the safety and security of its infrastructure, customers, and employees.
Avangrid outperforms its industry peers in several key areas, including network security and application security, two of the industry’s most common vulnerabilities according to a recent SecurityScorecard and KPMG report on top threats to the U.S. energy sector.
“Maintaining high standards in cybersecurity has become even more important in our increasingly digital world and critical to Avangrid achieving its goals of providing our customers with safe, reliable, and affordable energy while accelerating the energy transition,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “I am proud of the work our security professionals have done to keep our digital infrastructure safe, and these efforts will continue in order to thwart the new threats that are sure to come in the future.”
The recent report from SecurityScorecard and KPMG highlighted an urgent need to enhance security within the energy sector. For example, it found the greatest threat to the industry comes from security breaches involving third-parties, mostly outside the energy sector or in software and IT services. Additionally, it stated that growing clean-energy capacity in the U.S. will contribute to a more interconnected and software-driven grid that could be exposed to attack, signaling a need for enhanced cybersecurity measures.
“The threat landscape is dynamic and constantly changing, and as cybercriminals develop new techniques, we will continue to deploy smart and timely security mitigations to defend our critical infrastructure and reduce risk”, said Brian Harrell, Avangrid Vice President & Chief Security Officer. “Adversaries will always look at the energy sector as an attractive target, but we will work to stay one step ahead by making the right investments to keep our company, customers, and infrastructure secure.”
To address constantly evolving cybersecurity threats, Avangrid has put in place measures to help assess, identify, and manage risks, which is critically important to its Networks companies including United Illuminating, Connecticut Natural Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas, New York State Electric & Gas, Rochester Gas and Electric, Central Maine Power, Maine Natural Gas, and Berkshire Gas. Avangrid’s multi-layered security management approach reduces the risks that can affect the confidentiality and integrity of data and availability of our facilities, critical assets, and infrastructure, such as our transmission and distribution system. The Company’s cybersecurity framework is based on that set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
