SixMap study: US energy sector unprepared for rising cyber threats, critical blind spots leave systems exposed

As cyber threats against American critical infrastructure escalate, new research from security firm SixMap reveals alarming gaps in the cybersecurity defenses of the U.S. energy sector. A study of 21 energy organizations uncovered nearly 60,000 internet-exposed services, including thousands running on overlooked non-standard ports that evade traditional security scans. Among these exposures, 5,756 contain known vulnerabilities, 377 of which are actively exploited in the wild, highlighting systemic risks across the industry. 

The SixMap findings underscore a dangerous blind spot in how energy companies manage their external attack surfaces and point to a critical need for broader visibility beyond the top 5,000 common ports typically monitored. The U.S. energy sector remains a prime target for nation-state hackers and financially driven cybercriminals. As threats grow more aggressive and persistent, energy companies must remain vigilant, closely monitoring their digital exposure to prevent exploitation by malicious actors.

In its report titled ‘Energy Sector Exposure Assessment,’ SixMap identified that IPv6 usage is becoming commonplace. Each of the 21 organizations evaluated for this project had numerous IPv6 hosts exposed to the public Internet. 

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