Cybersecurity Isn't Easy When You're Trying to Be Green

A SecurityScorecard study (with KPMG) finds renewable energy companies score lower on cybersecurity readiness than oil and gas peers (median B/85 vs A/94), largely due to distributed, Internet-connected infrastructures that expand attack surfaces and increase third‑party risk. While most energy firms score A or B and only 8% show signs of compromise, nearly half of sector breaches involve third parties, and examples like EV charger defacements and a 2019 DoS on an unpatched firewall illustrate the sector’s exposure. Regulatory pressure is a primary driver of investment, and although many green energy projects were not designed with cybersecurity in mind, maturity is improving as incidents and regulations push stronger defenses.