National Grid USA, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, faced mounting cybersecurity threats across its expansive infrastructure. As cyberattacks on critical utilities surged, the company recognized that traditional perimeter defenses were no longer sufficient. What it needed was a modern, predictive cybersecurity framework—one that could anticipate risks, defend at scale, and ensure regulatory compliance across its grid and corporate environments.
In 2019, National Grid USA partnered with Trinet Technologies to initiate a multi-year transformation, aiming to become not just resilient, but a global benchmark in utility cybersecurity.
Designing a Future-Ready Security Architecture
Over a four-year strategic engagement, Trinet Technologies helped National Grid USA evolve from a patchwork of security tools into a fully integrated cyber defense ecosystem. This transformation began with a comprehensive assessment of existing controls, identifying blind spots, legacy vulnerabilities, and fragmented governance models. With this foundation, Trinet introduced an enterprise-wide Zero Trust model, AI-driven threat detection, and centralized identity management—tailored for both IT and operational technology (OT) networks.
Key milestones included:
- Implementation of a Predictive Threat Intelligence Platform to proactively analyze and respond to attacker behavior.
- Deployment of automated incident response systems that reduced human dependency and response times.
- Establishment of a Cyber Fusion Center that united cybersecurity, compliance, and risk under one umbrella.
- Ongoing simulation exercises and red teaming to benchmark cyber readiness.
This collaborative approach allowed National Grid USA to not only meet compliance standards like NERC CIP, but also exceed industry benchmarks in cyber maturity.
Driving Predictive Intelligence and Operational Excellence
Trinet’s approach focused on building intelligence into every layer of the cybersecurity stack. National Grid USA began shifting from reacting to security alerts to understanding attacker intent before attacks could materialize. This proactive model reduced false positives, accelerated decision-making, and protected both grid infrastructure and customer data.
Quantifiable results included:
- 65% reduction in incident response times
- 50% improvement in threat detection accuracy
- 99.9% endpoint compliance across OT and enterprise environments
- Zero critical security breaches reported in the final 18 months of the engagement
This shift from static defense to dynamic threat anticipation empowered National Grid USA to maintain uninterrupted operations—even during global ransomware waves and critical vulnerabilities affecting the energy sector.
“Our goal was to future-proof cybersecurity for a critical infrastructure client—and National Grid USA’s transformation is proof that it can be done."
Leading the Way in Utility Sector Cybersecurity
Today, National Grid USA is widely recognized as a cybersecurity leader in the utilities domain. Its cyber framework, co-developed with Trinet Technologies, has become a model for utilities worldwide seeking to combine resilience with innovation.
The success of this transformation lies not only in technology but also in leadership, governance, and culture change—areas where Trinet provided dedicated support and knowledge transfer every step of the way.
