The American Public Power Association recently coordinated a free three-day cybersecurity training to help public power utility professionals build cyber resilience and readiness, as part of APPA’s Cyber Pathways program.
The training, “Cybersecurity in a Resource Constrained Environment for Public and Rural Utilities,” took place July 14-16 and was hosted by the Northeast Public Power Association and conducted by Vermont-based Norwich University Applied Research Institutes.
APPA Cybersecurity Specialist Chris Ching attended the training as part of APPA’s ongoing efforts to support the cybersecurity needs of public power utilities.
Public power officials who attended the event detailed how they benefited from the training.
“As a member of an eight-person department serving approximately 3,500 meters, we all wear many hats, and it's important that everyone understands their role in protecting our systems,” said Mary Snow, General Manager for Massachusetts public power utility Georgetown Municipal Light Department.
“This training made cybersecurity approachable and relevant for staff at all levels, not just IT professionals. It gave me a better understanding of today's cyber threats, practical steps we can take to prevent incidents before they happen, and how to respond effectively if they do. I left feeling more informed and confident that our team is better prepared to help keep our utility secure,” she said.
“I highly recommend the cybersecurity training, especially for rural and smaller municipal light plants that may not have dedicated IT staff,” said Mary Usovicz, General Manager, Merrimac Municipal Light Department, a Massachusetts public power utility.
“The training provides practical, real-world guidance on identifying cyber risks, developing a sustainable cybersecurity framework, and asking the right questions of third-party vendors and outsourced IT providers. While I will never be an IT manager, the course gave me a tremendous appreciation for the critical role cybersecurity plays in protecting our organizations and the professionals who work every day to keep our systems secure," she said.
“The training highlighted the importance of cybersecurity and helped me better understand the areas our utility should focus on. It also made clear that developing a strong business continuity plan should be a priority, said Callie Knower, Assistant General Manager at Holden Municipal Light Department in Massachusetts.
“NEPPA was proud to host the cyber security training geared towards the smaller municipal and rural cooperative utilities,” said Mike Hyland, Executive Director of NEPPA. “Not only did it show the value in NEPPA’s training center, but attendees walked away with cyber tools and knowledge they can immediately put to work back at their home utility.”
The training is one example of APPA’s Cyber Pathways program, a targeted initiative to help public power utilities improve cybersecurity maturity, resilience, and operational readiness.
Public power utilities are faced with an increasingly hostile threat landscape that requires them to improve their cybersecurity maturity and posture.
Cyber Pathways is a targeted effort to do just that — from assessing and identifying leading practices to helping utilities improve their readiness through cybersecurity training, participating in information sharing and incident response organizations, and getting recognized for implementing best practices.
Cyber Pathways activities are funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response and the American Public Power Association.
Since the first round of funding in 2024, some of the key outcomes of the program have included:
• Developing the Cybersecurity Accelerator Program to allow utilities to assess and improve their cyber posture
• Analyzing and assessing the baseline cybersecurity posture for public power
• Reviewing cyber assessments and models for alignment with public power
The Cybersecurity Accelerator Program helps public power utilities to assess and improve the maturity of their cybersecurity programs. This includes assessing both information technology and operational technology cybersecurity posture as well as the policies and practices that support electric system and grid security.
In a recent episode of APPA’s Public Power Now podcast, Rob Denaburg, senior manager for cybersecurity at the American Public Power Association, said participating in APPA’s new Cybersecurity Accelerator Program offers several benefits, which include allowing public power utilities to benchmark their cybersecurity performance against peers and identify areas for improvement.
