Ransomware Hits Regional Power Utility, Tests Grid Resilience

Midweek, a regional power utility in Eastern Europe disclosed that a targeted ransomware attack had disrupted parts of its IT network, forcing the company to temporarily switch some customer services and billing systems to contingency modes. While core grid operations and power delivery continued through segmented operational technology networks, the incident tested incident-response playbooks and highlighted the delicate boundary between IT and OT environments. Investigators believe the intrusion began with a phishing email to a contractor, followed by lateral movement into internal administrative systems. Regulators praised the utility for transparent communication but reiterated calls for stricter third-party access controls, offline backups, and joint cyber–physical crisis exercises to ensure electricity supply remains stable even under digital attack.

25-11-2025