Energy suppliers and municipal utilities are under double pressure: the NIS-2 Directive tightens the cybersecurity requirements for critical infrastructure, whilst in day-to-day operations, technicians, control centres and senior management continue to communicate via WhatsApp and other insecure consumer apps. Secure messaging for energy suppliers is not a luxury – it is both a regulatory requirement and a fundamental operational safeguard.
These 7+1 key reasons show why it is essential to switch to a certified communications solution now.
Reason 1: NIS 2 compliance
NIS-2 requires operators of critical infrastructure to secure their entire communications and IT infrastructure. Unencrypted or non-GDPR-compliant messaging channels pose a direct compliance risk – with heavy fines and personal liability for directors. A fully encrypted, BSI C5-certified, and audit-proof solution, such as Teamwire closes this gap.
Reason 2: Reliability in an emergency
Email and telephone services are usually the first to go down in the event of a cyberattack or an IT failure. A communication channel that operates independently of the regular IT infrastructure is essential for your incident response plan to be effective. Without fail-safe communication, any emergency plan remains merely theoretical.
Read more about out-of-band communication.
Reason 3: Data sovereignty rather than the CLOUD Act
Communication via US cloud services – including Microsoft 365, WhatsApp and numerous other tools – is subject to the CLOUD Act. US authorities can access this data at any time without your knowledge. For operators of critical infrastructure who exchange sensitive operational and control centre data, an EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant channel is not an option, but a requirement.
Reason 4: Curbing shadow IT within mobile teams
As long as the official solution is less convenient than WhatsApp, technicians and field staff will continue to use WhatsApp. It’s not a question of awareness – it’s a question of usability. The only effective response to shadow IT is an approved alternative that works just as easily as WhatsApp and similar apps and is centrally managed by IT.
Reason 5: Protection for lone workers
Laws such as the German DGUV V1 stipulate that working alone is permitted only if help can be summoned in an emergency. This requires a communication solution that continues to function even when the regular IT system is unavailable, and which offers specific emergency functions – such as an alarm system or a panic button.
Read more about lone worker protection here.
Reason 6: Secure communication with C-level executives and public authorities
Merger discussions, incident reports with political implications, consultations with the supervisory board and the Federal Network Agency – sensitive information at the executive level has no place in insecure consumer apps. A data breach at this level is not only a compliance issue, but also a reputational risk.
You might also be interested in: Successful C-level communication: strategies for more efficiency and security
Reason 7: Securing the supply chain
NIS-2 requires the entire supply chain to be secured. If IT service providers, subcontractors and critical suppliers communicate via insecure channels, your own security architecture is only as strong as its weakest link.
7+1: Because a tool that nobody uses doesn’t provide security
This is the factor most frequently overlooked in technical evaluations. A solution that meets all compliance requirements but is considered too cumbersome in day-to-day work will be quietly bypassed – and shadow IT will make a comeback.
Acceptance is not a subjective criterion. It determines whether the investment in security is actually effective.
Teamwire is just as intuitive as WhatsApp – and can be rolled out across the entire workforce without training. From the control centre to the field staff.
For a brief overview of our product, click here.
Teamwire for energy suppliers and municipal utilities
Teamwire is ISO 27001 and BSI-C5 certified, hosted exclusively on German servers, and available for on-premises, public, and private cloud deployments. More than half of Germany’s police forces already rely on Teamwire – including for mission-critical communications subject to the highest security requirements.
Further information for energy suppliers and municipal utilities: teamwire.eu/en/industries/critical-infrastructure/messenger-for-energy-suppliers/
Are you curious to find out how Teamwire works and how it can make secure collaboration within your organisation easier?
Then try our collaboration tool for 14 days free of charge and with no obligation. Or let us show you how Teamwire works in a personalised demo.
