TENB Tenable Holdings Inc

A recent study by Tenable®, Inc., the Cyber Exposure company, underscores the urgency for utility companies to establish foundational cyber defenses. The Cyber Defender Strategies Report, which analyzed how 2,100 organizations are assessing their exposure to vulnerabilities, found that no utility companies are practicing the most mature vulnerability assessment strategies and the sector has the highest proportion taking the least-mature approach.

This is in stark contrast to the report’s global data, which revealed that nearly 48 percent of organizations have embraced strategic vulnerability assessment -- defined as mature or moderately mature programs that include targeted and tailored scanning and prioritizing computing resources based on business criticality. Tenable Research found that none of those organizations are utility companies — a startling data point as strategic vulnerability assessments are critical to reducing the risk of a cyberattack. 

These findings come just weeks after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen declared that critical infrastructure in the U.S. is in “crisis mode,” comparing the danger of a massive cyberattack on a public utility to a Category 5 Hurricane. In May, Tenable Research discovered a critical remote code execution vulnerability in two Schneider Electric applications used in manufacturing, oil and gas, water, automation and wind and solar power facilities.

“Critical infrastructure represents one of the most valuable targets for virtually any cyber criminal on the planet. We cannot underestimate this threat and we must act quickly and come together -- as cyber experts, business leaders, government agencies and concerned citizens -- to secure our public utilities,” said Tom Parsons, senior director of product management, Tenable Research. “This research is yet another reminder that the rigorous and disciplined assessment of vulnerabilities is the best foundation for mature vulnerability management and ultimately, Cyber Exposure.”

Tenable Research analyzed telemetry data for over three months from organizations in more than 60 different countries using data science to identify distinct security maturity styles and strategic insights which can help organizations manage, measure and ultimately reduce cyber risk. The objective was to analyze and ultimately help to improve how defenders are responding.

For more information on the report, read the Tenable Research blog post here https://www.tenable.com/blog/how-mature-are-your-cyber-defender-strategies.

About TenableTenable®, Inc. is the Cyber Exposure company. Over 24,000 organizations around the globe rely on Tenable to understand and reduce cyber risk. As the creator of Nessus®, Tenable extended its expertise in vulnerabilities to deliver Tenable.io®, the world’s first platform to see and secure any digital asset on any computing platform. Tenable customers include 53 percent of the Fortune 500, 29 percent of the Global 2000 and large government agencies. Learn more at tenable.com.

Contact Information:Cayla Baker Tenable tenablepr@tenable.com 443-545-2102, x 1544