In the context of intensifying cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure, the National Directorate for Cyber Security (DNSC) and ENEVO Group have signed a collaboration agreement aimed at raising protection standards for the energy sector in Romania. The partnership goes beyond simply responding to threats and proposes a new model: transforming cybersecurity into a continuous exercise in anticipation, education, and collaboration between the public and private sectors, with local expertise and technology developed in Romania. Specifically, the two parties are interested in exchanging information, validating detection and response technologies, and developing a critical mass of experts capable of responding to threats in real time.

“We can handle two major incidents simultaneously, but we are approaching the limit of our response capacity,” warned Dan Cîmpean, director of the DNSC, at a press conference. That is why Romania needs a functional cybersecurity services market, capable of hiring and retaining as many well-trained experts as possible. Not just to respond, but above all to prevent.

Dan Cîmpean referred to two significant incidents that affected the local energy sector: the attacks on Rompetrol (2022) and DEER (2024). “The energy sector in Romania is one of the most sophisticated and advanced in terms of operational systems and infrastructure. […] The number and intensity of cyber attacks targeting this sector has increased in complexity and intensity, particularly since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine,” Cîmpean added.

United in a professional community, cybersecurity experts would be able to respond in sufficient numbers in times of crisis, but above all, they would act continuously to prevent and educate.

The SentryOT solution, developed internally by the ENEVO Cybersec division, meets this need. With dual expertise in OT security and energy engineering, the ENEVO team has built a platform that provides visibility into industrial networks, contextual correlation of alerts, and continuity of essential processes even in the face of an attack. “There is no typical industrial cybersecurity school—it takes a mix of skills and a mix of specialists who understand both cybersecurity and process engineering,” emphasized Cristian Pîrvulescu, CEO of ENEVO Group.

SentryOT is a 100% Romanian project, born out of the real needs of ENEVO teams involved in energy and automation projects. It has been well received on international markets, and locally it has already been tested and refined in critical projects. The agreement between ENEVO Group and DNSC reflects “a common vision of the public and private sectors, based on proactivity, collaboration, and the efficient exchange of know-how and skills,” Pîrvulescu emphasized.

ENEVO Group is already recognized as one of the few Romanian players that can deliver complete EPC solutions in energy – from power stations and renewable sources to complex automation systems. The addition of a division dedicated to cybersecurity came naturally, as an extension of our responsibility for the safety of the entire industrial ecosystem. The ENEVO Group dispatch center is the only one in Romania that integrates and covers cybersecurity needs alongside standard services.

In an era where attacks are not only possible but increasingly likely, Romania can already rely on an innovative and fully adapted cybersecurity solution to protect Operational Technology (OT) networks. Developed entirely locally, the SentryOT solution is specifically designed for critical infrastructures in the electricity, natural gas, water, and oil industries. SentryOT provides a high level of cyber resilience, tailored to the specific requirements of the industrial environment.

SentryOT promises

• Complete visibility into OT environments by monitoring traffic within industrial control networks;
• Real-time correlation of security events with operational command flows to detect functional anomalies;
• Contextual, process-aware alerting with custom report generation that accurately reflects the reality on the ground;
• Operational continuity through early detection and optimization of complex remediation actions following cyber attacks.

ENEVO Group has offices in Romania, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom and a multinational team of over 350 employees. The company is organized into three business divisions—Power T&D, Renewables, Automation—and covers the entire project development cycle: from engineering to turnkey solutions delivery.