Pennsylvania utility says it blocks 'tens of thousands' of cyberattack attempts each month

Utility companies in Pennsylvania are warning that cyber threats targeting power, water, and gas systems are rising quickly and that defending those services will require investments that could affect customers' bills.

Here's what to know

At a hearing before state lawmakers, utility leaders said attempted intrusions against critical infrastructure are increasing in both volume and complexity, according to reporting from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

FirstEnergy Pennsylvania chief security officer Brian Harrell told the officials there that the company's defenses block "tens of thousands of automated malicious connection attempts against public-facing services each month. These statistics underscore why cybersecurity requires constant attention and continual enhancement."

The issue is not limited to office IT systems. Utilities also run the equipment and control networks that people depend on for electricity, heat, and safe drinking water, which are also vulnerable to attacks.

State Rep. Pat Gallagher, who chairs the utilities subcommittee in the Pennsylvania state House, said at the hearing that attackers are "seeking to manipulate, disrupt or disable the very control systems that provide light, heat and clean water for our communities. Protecting our public utilities requires a unified front, one that bridges private operators, public regulators, state agencies, and both political parties," per the Capital-Star.

Experts said the risk is also growing in part because utilities now depend more heavily on internet-connected tools to manage operations, giving criminal groups and state-backed actors more ways in.

Unfortunately, this means that the consequences of a successful breach could include service outages, exposure of customer information, and higher costs tied to defense, recovery, and insurance.

Utility officials told lawmakers that cyber protection has become a core operating expense for modern infrastructure, not an optional add-on.

Sumit Nair, chief information officer for Essential Utilities, explained at the hearing that his company approaches cybersecurity spending the same way it does investments in "pipes, treatment plants and distribution infrastructure," per the Capital-Star.

Where can I learn more?

These stories add context to the situation in Pennsylvania, showing how utilities are also under pressure over grid performance, public accountability, and customer protections. They also make clear that resilience now reaches beyond cybersecurity into the systems, policies, and political fights shaping utility service.

• Pennsylvania regulators are pressing utilities to prove they're fixing grid losses as demand strains infrastructure.

• Debates over renewable energy have intensified as power grid reliability claims draw backlash from experts and operators.

• In Kentucky, lawmakers moved to ban utility shutoffs that critics say punish vulnerable households.

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