Preemptive Protection Measures for Safety-Critical Infrastructure

By |2022-05-18T23:55:21+00:00February 18th, 2022|0 Comments

Safety-critical infrastructure is the backbone of the economy and way of life, and it plays a huge role in national prosperity. It includes facilities, transportation systems, and networks that, if damaged or destroyed, could severely affect the health, security, or economic welfare of a community, region, or nation. If this infrastructure is attacked or breached by either physical or cyber means, there could be a serious crisis.

It is well obvious that cyberattacks have evolved greatly. We see now that as the world grows ever more connected, the number of ways for hackers to access and disrupt critical infrastructure is also expanding.

In the past, cybercriminals only targeted financial institutions because of their large amounts of cash. But now they realize that disrupting the operation of a power plant or hospital is more profitable. Since shutting down a power plant or hospital could potentially cause severe harm – and death – to thousands of people, holding such critical infrastructure to ransom is likelier to fetch them handsome proceeds.

The Current State of Infrastructure Security

The recent surge in cyberattacks against safety-critical infrastructure facilities — such as hospitals, banks, electric power plants, manufacturing plants, and municipal water supply systems — is a case in point.

One way to protect against disruptions in safety-critical systems is to install a layered defense system. In cyber terms, this means implementing all possible hardware, software, and procedural safeguards to stop an attack before it can breach the perimeter or penetrate deeper into a system’s architecture.

There is no foolproof way to protect against cyberattacks. Still, a layered approach can make it more difficult for hackers to succeed, and it provides a better chance of detecting and mitigating an attack before damage is done and the crisis becomes full-blown.

In addition, cloud security can improve cybersecurity resilience for critical infrastructure by using the cloud to store data, making it more protected from cyberattacks. Transitioning to the cloud requires a change in mindset, such as shifting focus from device security to data security. It also requires rethinking how organizations will detect and respond to an attack if one does occur.

Protecting safety-critical infrastructure is a multifaceted undertaking, requiring actionable intelligence and defensive measures constantly evolving to meet emerging threats.

Cybersecurity Frameworks for Safety-Critical Assets

The goal of cybersecurity is to protect critical assets from attacks, but no system is ever completely secure. For example, the best intrusion detection and prevention systems will never detect or stop all attacks. A more proactive approach — which includes a well-thought-out response plan — can help defend against the most serious cybersecurity threats.

For example, suppose a hacker gains access to an industrial control system in a manufacturing facility. In that case, automated defenses could immediately isolate the compromised system from the rest of the factory’s internal network, thereby preventing an attacker from spreading malware or damaging critical infrastructure.

To protect against these threats, a comprehensive security program must be developed that addresses each component of the security lifecycle – including detection, analysis, and response – and accounts for specific assets within the infrastructure.

A security framework does the following:

  • Establishes a baseline for cybersecurity protection;
  • Provides guidance for how to implement security controls and countermeasures;
  • Promotes communication between business units and IT teams;
  • Ensures that all the various parts of an organization are in alignment with security objectives.

Steps to Protecting Infrastructure from Cybers Attacks

The first step that organizations must take to protect themselves from cyber threats is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their vulnerabilities. These assessments should consider both external and internal threats, as well as accidental or unintentional events. This step will allow organizations to make sure they have plans to deal with any crisis before it occurs.

In addition to these assessments, organizations must ensure that all employees are aware of the risks and take proactive measures to address them. They should also be trained on the best practices for cyber security and how to spot suspicious activity. Organizations can use these best practices as guidelines for creating their internal policies around cyber security.

Also, having a well-documented incident response plan is crucial. This disaster response plan should outline all possible crisis scenarios, including how different departments within an organization will handle each one, so everyone knows their role in such an event.

Operating companies know their facilities best, so they have an essential role in protecting them by conducting threat assessments and vulnerability studies, establishing emergency response protocols, building resilience into their assets, practicing emergency drills, and training personnel in emergency response procedures.

Conclusion

The cyber threat landscape is changing rapidly and has become increasingly complex. As conventional security approaches and technologies have failed to keep pace, organizations in all sectors struggle to keep up and face more frequent, sophisticated, and costly attacks.

Ransomware attacks on hospitals have caused critical patient care crisis, while cyberattacks have crippled industrial equipment, caused destructive power outages, and brought manufacturing to a halt. The stakes are higher than ever across every sector.

With so much of modern life dependent on systems that rely on software and computers, hackers can cause – and have caused – major problems by infiltrating those systems and disrupting how they operate. The imperative is clear: Organizations that manage safety-critical infrastructure require a fundamentally new approach to cybersecurity.

Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Physical Infrastructure

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the Author:

Tech Enthusiast and Journalist, Joseph Chukwube is the Founder of Digitage and Startup Growth Guide. He discusses Cybersecurity, E-commerce and Lifestyle and he’s a published writer on Tripwire, Infosecurity Magazine, Techopedia and more.

Leave A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.