As cyber threats against critical infrastructure intensify, utilities are tightening coordination with both government and private-sector security partners. Forescout Technologies is the latest to formalize that collaboration, joining the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) as a Vendor Affiliate Program Partner.
The move gives E-ISAC members access to intelligence from Forescout Research – Vedere Labs and expands the company’s engagement with North American utilities and government leaders confronting rising cyber and physical risks to the grid.
Why E-ISAC Matters
E-ISAC operates under the umbrella of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the body responsible for reliability standards across North America’s bulk power system. Its mission: share timely threat intelligence, coordinate incident response, and strengthen collective defense across utilities.
For Forescout, the partnership builds on its role as a founding member of the European E-ISAC and reflects its longstanding focus on operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems. In practical terms, it means Forescout’s threat research will now feed directly into a network that underpins power grid stability across the U.S. and Canada.
That coordination is increasingly urgent.
According to Forescout’s 2025 Threat Roundup report, threat actors targeting the energy sector increased by 6% year over year. Critical infrastructure remains one of the most targeted verticals for cybercriminals, state-sponsored actors, and hacktivists alike. For grid operators, even minor disruptions can have cascading economic and safety consequences.
From Visibility to Zero Trust in OT
Forescout has spent more than 15 years building asset intelligence and threat detection capabilities tailored to OT and SCADA environments—areas where traditional IT security tools often struggle.
The company says it secures hundreds of substations, works with more than 50 North American utilities, and protects five of the world’s top 10 energy companies. A core differentiator is its ability to provide unified visibility and control across IT, OT, IoT, and IoMT systems through its Forescout 4D Platform.
That cross-domain visibility is critical in modern utility networks, where legacy control systems intersect with cloud-connected analytics and remote operations. Misconfigurations, unmanaged devices, and flat network architectures can quickly become entry points for attackers.
Utilities also face strict compliance obligations under NERC’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards. Forescout positions its platform as purpose-built to help organizations maintain CIP compliance while moving toward Zero Trust segmentation—a growing priority as grid networks expand.
One utility leader, Jeff Haidet of South Central Power Co., described Forescout as a “one-stop oversight shop,” citing consolidated asset management, control actions, and segmentation capabilities that would otherwise require multiple tools. For large, distributed utility networks, tool sprawl can translate directly into cost and operational complexity.
Intelligence Sharing as a Defensive Multiplier
By entering the E-ISAC Vendor Affiliate Program, Forescout is extending its research arm—Vedere Labs—into a broader intelligence-sharing ecosystem. That includes actionable indicators, adversary insights, and sector-specific analysis tailored to operational realities in energy environments.
The logic is straightforward: grid resilience depends not just on strong perimeter defenses, but on shared visibility and coordinated response. As attacks grow more targeted and sophisticated, isolated detection is less effective than collective awareness.
The partnership also reflects a broader trend in critical infrastructure cybersecurity. Public-private collaboration, once largely voluntary and ad hoc, is becoming structured and strategic. Utilities are expected to report incidents, share telemetry, and participate in cross-sector defense initiatives—especially as geopolitical tensions raise the stakes for state-sponsored attacks.
The Bigger Picture for Grid Security
Power grids are undergoing rapid digital transformation. Distributed energy resources, smart meters, remote monitoring, and AI-driven optimization are modernizing operations—but also expanding the attack surface.
Security vendors that can bridge IT and OT, align with regulatory requirements, and integrate into sector-wide intelligence networks stand to play an outsized role. Forescout’s new E-ISAC affiliation positions it squarely within that ecosystem.
The company will also showcase its energy-sector focus at S4x26, a prominent ICS/OT security conference held at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, underscoring its continued push into industrial cybersecurity leadership circles.
As utilities face mounting pressure to maintain uptime, meet compliance mandates, and defend against increasingly capable adversaries, partnerships like this one signal a clear message: grid security is no longer a siloed IT issue—it’s a coordinated, sector-wide mission.
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