Grid Cybersecurity Gets a Wake-Up Call

ServiceNow’s bid for Armis points to rising concern over devices at the grid’s edge

20 Jan 2026

The electric grid is becoming harder to see. As electric vehicles plug in and experiments begin to send power back from cars to networks, utilities are dealing with an infrastructure that is no longer confined to substations and control rooms. It now stretches to chargers, sensors and software scattered across cities. Securing it is proving awkward.

A technology deal announced in late December 2025 illustrates the shift. ServiceNow said it would buy Armis, a cybersecurity firm, for roughly $7.75bn, with the transaction due to close in the second half of 2026. The acquisition is not aimed specifically at utilities or vehicle-to-grid projects. But it reflects growing anxiety about how to protect sprawling, device-heavy systems.

Armis specialises in identifying and monitoring equipment that sits outside traditional IT defences. Its tools map sensors, industrial controllers, chargers and other connected assets that populate what engineers call the grid edge. Research on vehicle-to-grid security has long flagged this as a weak point. Utilities often do not know exactly what is connected to their networks, let alone whether it is behaving oddly.

ServiceNow, best known for workflow software, says cyber risk is no longer a back office problem. Attacks can disrupt services and operations directly. By combining Armis’s device intelligence with its own automation tools, the firm hopes to spot problems earlier and coordinate responses across operational teams, not just security staff.

The logic fits a broader trend. Big cybersecurity platforms are buying specialists to offer more unified products, spanning IT, operational technology and the internet of things. Customers, overwhelmed by alerts and vendors, want fewer dashboards and clearer accountability. Palo Alto Networks and others have pursued similar strategies. Size and breadth are becoming selling points.

For utilities, the implications are indirect but relevant. Grid modernisation and vehicle-to-grid research are pushing more intelligence, and risk, to the periphery. Tools that improve visibility and speed up incident response are attracting interest. Yet utilities are cautious buyers. Integrating large platforms is slow, and worries about vendor concentration and long-term dependence linger.

Still, the direction is plain. As connected devices take on a larger role in keeping the lights on, cybersecurity is merging with reliability. Software firms are positioning themselves for a world in which managing electrons and managing code are inseparable. Deals like this hint at how seriously they take that future.