SSEN Transmission joins ENCS to strengthen cybersecurity collaboration across critical energy infrastructure

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The European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) announced on Wednesday that SSEN Transmission has joined the organisation as an Information & Knowledge Sharing member. The move reflects alignment in U.K. and EU cybersecurity requirements and need to share and scale proven best practices across critical energy infrastructure.

Through its membership, SSEN Transmission will engage with ENCS’s network of European transmission and distribution system operators (TSOs and DSOs), accessing collaborative research, technical documentation and knowledge-sharing activities, including workshops and security roundtables. This will support its focus on areas such as testing and OT (operational technology) security operations, as ENCS works with its members to address shared cybersecurity challenges across critical grid infrastructure.

SSEN Transmission is responsible for the high-voltage electricity transmission network across the north of Scotland, playing a critical role in maintaining the reliability of the UK’s power system. Its new ENCS membership will strengthen collaboration between UK and European energy operators at a time when regulatory requirements across both regions place emphasis on cybersecurity best practices and the deployment of secure systems.

This reflects the scale of the threat landscape: in the UK, the National Cyber Security Centre reported 204 nationally significant cyber incidents in the 12 months to August 2025 in its latest annual review, a 130% increase on the previous year, including incidents affecting essential services and critical infrastructure.

“Cybersecurity is a shared challenge across Europe’s energy sector, and collaboration is fundamental to staying ahead of evolving threats,” said Anjos Nijk, Managing Director of ENCS. “Across both the UK and EU, regulatory frameworks place clear requirements on investment in robust security practices and secure systems. We are pleased to welcome SSEN Transmission to ENCS and strengthen cooperation across the sector.”

Iain Dougan, Head of Operational Technology and Cyber at SSEN Transmission, added: “Joining ENCS provides an opportunity to collaborate with peers across Europe at a time when regulatory expectations around energy network cybersecurity continue to evolve. With the growth journey that SSEN Transmission are undertaking it is vital that we look beyond just our UK peers to ensure we are tapping into best practice across the continent to solve the shared problems and escalating cyber threats that we face as operators of essential services.”

In February, the ENCS and the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation on vulnerability discovery, disclosure, and resolution affecting Europe’s power grids and other critical infrastructure. The MoU was signed yesterday during ENCS’ annual General Assembly meeting, held at ENCS headquarters in The Hague.

Industrial Cyber News Desk