ENCS strengthens EU energy resilience with addition of Slovenia’s ELES

ENCS strengthens EU energy resilience with addition of Slovenia’s ELES

(IN BRIEF) ENCS has welcomed ELES, Slovenia’s national transmission system operator, into its membership network, strengthening a collaborative approach to securing Europe’s electricity grid. The partnership provides ELES with access to ENCS’s shared cyber intelligence, technical expertise, training and operational guidance, boosting its capacity to detect and respond to emerging threats across high-voltage systems. The move aligns with findings from ENISA’s Threat Landscape 2025, which highlights the growing sophistication of attacks targeting operational technology. ENCS Managing Director Anjos Nijk emphasised that ELES contributes important regional knowledge, while ELES SOC Manager Gorazd Rolih noted that cybersecurity relies on collective action rather than individual defence. The announcement follows the ENCS Cybersecurity Forum in Brussels, attended by over 200 European experts, reinforcing the importance of industry-wide collaboration in securing critical energy infrastructure.

(PRESS RELEASE) THE HAGUE, 26-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) has announced the addition of ELES, Slovenia’s national transmission system operator, as its newest member — a move that further strengthens collective efforts to defend Europe’s electricity grid against increasingly complex cyber threats. With ELES now joining the network, collaboration across European operators intensifies at a time when critical infrastructure protection has become a strategic priority for the continent.

Membership grants ELES access to ENCS’s shared cybersecurity resources, including specialist training programmes, technical expertise, and multi-member threat intelligence that helps organisations more effectively detect, contain and counter attacks on high-voltage networks. This knowledge exchange is expected to enhance resilience not just domestically within Slovenia, but also across interconnected regions where the nation’s grid plays a key role.

This partnership comes at a pivotal moment. ENISA’s Threat Landscape 2025 notes a sharp rise in attacks on operational technology, the systems that physically control Europe’s electricity networks. As state-aligned activity grows and the proliferation of connected devices broadens exposure, the demand for coordinated cybersecurity strategies has become critical.

“Europe’s energy network depends on the strength of each link in the chain,” stated Anjos Nijk, ENCS Managing Director. “With ELES joining us, we gain regional knowledge that reinforces our collective defences. Slovenia’s grid contributes to stability in Central Europe, and their insight will support more unified strategies against fast-evolving threats.”

Gorazd Rolih, ELES SOC Manager, echoed the importance of cooperation: “Cybersecurity in the grid sector cannot be tackled alone. ENCS membership provides a two-way channel for best-practice sharing, intelligence and operational experience. By collaborating, we can create a stronger, more adaptive energy system for the future.”

The announcement follows ENCS’s 8th Cybersecurity Forum, held in Brussels last month and co-organised with E.DSO, EE-ISAC and ENISA. The event gathered more than 200 senior leaders from Europe’s energy and cybersecurity landscape to address urgent challenges, encourage joint defence initiatives and highlight the need for embedded security in emerging electricity technologies.

About ENCS

The European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) is a non-profit membership organisation that brings together critical infrastructure stakeholders and security experts to deploy secure European critical energy grids and infrastructure. Founded in 2012, ENCS has dedicated researchers and test specialists who work with members and partners on applied research, defining technical security requirements, component and end-to-end testing, as well as education & training. ENCS uses its network in academia, government and business to provide cyber security solutions and counsel dedicated to the needs of national Distribution System Operators (DSO), Transport System Operators (TSOs) and regulators.

About ELES

ELES is the combined transmission and distribution system operator operator of the Republic of Slovenia. ELES has been providing safe, reliable and uninterrupted electric power transmission throughout Slovenia and across the borders for 90 years. Click for more: https://www.eles.si/en/basic-data

Media contact

Maartje Knottenbelt, ENCS
maartje.knottenbelt@encs.eu

SOURCE: ENCS