At the opening of the third edition of the Cybersecurity Forum in Energy, organized by Distribuție Energie Electrică România (DEER) in Cluj-Napoca, Mihaela Suciu, the company’s general manager, spoke about the motivations behind the event and the lessons learned from the complex cyber attacks that have targeted the company in recent years.
The forum was born out of a real need—to transform a crisis experience into a joint effort of learning and prevention. “We lived through it, we identified it, and we decided to come to the aid of other colleagues, other partners, other companies that find themselves in the situation we found ourselves in.” She noted the growing interest in this topic: “There are many more interested parties and participants at this edition than there were three years ago. It is clear that this is a topic that affects a lot of people.”
In a global context “marked by interconnection, accelerated digitization, and unprecedented security challenges,” Mihaela Suciu emphasized that “energy systems have become strategic targets. For DEER, which is the largest distribution operator in Romania, with over 200,000 km of networks and 4 million users, cybersecurity is not just a technological component, but an integral part of our mission to protect critical national infrastructure and provide users with a safe and continuous distribution service. ”
Referring to the most recent cyberattack, he said: “It was a tense moment—I have no other words to describe what it was like when we realized we were the target of a cyberattack. Tension in both the literal and figurative sense. But what followed was an incredible display of professionalism and solidarity. Our IT team, together with security specialists, partners whom I would like to thank on this occasion, and of course the relevant institutions, managed to restore the systems within what we consider a reasonable time, protect the data, and maintain business continuity.”
“We have learned, perhaps more than ever, that resilience is not built solely through technology, but through people—through dedicated people who remain calm in crisis situations and are united by the same mission,” added Mihaela Suciu.
Finally, he emphasized the spirit that should guide the entire industry: “Resilience in cybersecurity means getting back on your feet quickly when you are tested, learning, adapting, and moving forward stronger. We want this forum to be more than a place for speeches—we want it to be a laboratory of ideas where projects, partnerships, and real solutions are born. Energy security is not a barrier; it is a promise that Romania’s energy is secure, modern, and protected.”
Energynomics was a media partner for the Cybersecurity Forum in Energy, organized by Distribuție Energie Electrică România (DEER) in Cluj-Napoca.