2027 Event Agenda

The modern utility network is more distributed, dynamic, and exposed than ever before. As operational technology converges with IT infrastructure, thousands of edge devices now serve as critical connective tissue across generation, transmission, and distribution asset; many of them deployed years ago under a very different threat landscape. Today, those deployments face mounting pressure: nation-state threat actors, evolving NERC CIP expectations, and a surge in supply chain vulnerabilities have fundamentally changed what "secure enough" means for edge connectivity. Yet a full infrastructure refresh is rarely feasible—operationally or financially—leaving utilities to ask a harder question: how do you strengthen security posture across an existing installed base while continuing to build toward a more resilient future?

This panel brings together perspectives from utility telecommunications, cybersecurity and mission-critical connectivity experts to explore the practical implementation of Zero Trust Network Architecture (ZTNA) at the grid edge. We will examine how hardware-bound device identity, automated certificate lifecycle management, and continuous traffic inspection can be layered onto existing cellular deployments at scale without requiring a forklift upgrade—offering concrete strategies for phasing in stronger controls while maintaining operational continuity.
 This session offers a multi-stakeholder perspective on what it takes to truly secure the grid edge, today and into the future.