Compliance-Driven Patching is Broken: Bastazo's New Whitepaper Calls for a Risk-Informed Approach to Cybersecurity ACCESSWIRE 2025-03-25
BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS / ACCESS Newswire / March 25, 2025 / The electric sector's cybersecurity regulatory model is failing. A newly released whitepaper from Bastazo, a cybersecurity company specializing in operational technology (OT), argues that compliance-driven patching is outdated, reactive, and unsustainable. Decades of regulatory mandates have left utilities stuck in a cycle of checking boxes rather than addressing real threats. Bastazo's latest research, "A Risk-Informed Remediation Management Approach for NERC CIP Compliance," advocates for a shift to a risk-based remediation model, one that prioritizes vulnerabilities based on real-world threats instead of compliance deadlines.Operational Technology (OT)
Despite strict North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirements, CIP-007-6 R2 is the most violated NERC standard, leaving power grid systems more vulnerable than many realize. The volume of known vulnerabilities is increasing, but critical infrastructure teams lack the resources to assess which vulnerabilities pose the greatest risk. As a result, organizations either apply every patch indiscriminately, wasting time and resources, or struggle to keep up, risking compliance failures and security gaps.
"Utilities are stuck in a cycle of patching for compliance instead of security," said Bastazo Chief Scientist, co-founder and the paper's author Philip Huff. "Our research shows that this approach fails to address real risks and may contribute to leaving systems exposed. A risk-informed remediation model is the only way to keep up with the constant influx of vulnerabilities and align security efforts with real-world threats."
Bastazo's platform integrates threat intelligence, operational impact assessments and regulatory requirements to help organizations make informed remediation decisions. Instead of applying every patch within a rigid compliance window, utilities can prioritize vulnerabilities based on exploitation likelihood, system exposure, and operational risk. This approach improves security while reducing unnecessary disruptions to critical infrastructure.
Bastazo's risk-based framework, detailed in the whitepaper, leverages Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization (SSVC) and the Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF) to help organizations:
Prioritize vulnerabilities based on actual risk, rather than arbitrary deadlines.
Automate remediation workflows that align with operational and compliance needs.
Reduce downtime by selecting the safest, most effective mitigation strategies.
Improve auditability and compliance without sacrificing security.
About Bastazo Bastazo is an AI-driven cybersecurity platform focused on remediation for operational technology. By prioritizing the top 3% of critical vulnerabilities, Bastazo helps organizations automate risk mitigation while reducing team workloads. Its proprietary AI solutions bridge security and operational teams, ensuring faster, more effective remediation strategies. For more information or to schedule a demo, visit bastazo.com.
