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We hear the term “critical infrastructure” used so much that it almost has no meaning anymore. We often hear about the need to fund improvements to our infrastructure. But what does that mean, really?
DHS defines 16 areas or sectors that comprise our critical infrastructure. That is, those sectors which, if impacted in some way, would hurt our way of life.
Those 16 sectors are: Chemical, Commercial Facilities, Communications, Critical Manufacturing, Dams, Defense Industrial Base, Emergency Services, Energy, Financial Services, Food and Agriculture, Government Facilities, Healthcare and Public Health, Information Technology, Nuclear Reactors/Materials and Waste, Transportation Systems, and Water and Wastewater Systems.
Seeing the list of what is considered our critical infrastructure starts to bring it to life. Yes, we need these sectors to be resilient and to work. Additionally, they are so interdependent that an impact on one industry will have a ripple effect on other sectors.
For example, an impact on the transportation sector can impede the delivery of food or even emergency services. An effect on information technology can affect healthcare or financial services.
As we have seen recently, attacks on our critical infrastructure are affecting various aspects of our lives, from work to home.
In May OF 2021, the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack led to a shutdown that lasted several days. However, the fear of shortages resulted in a run on gas stations with people filling up their tanks, their gas cans, and even some putting gasoline in plastic bags (not recommended, by the way).
This week, we witnessed a cyberattack on JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company. With so much automation in the plants, operations were halted for a few days, resulting in chaos among the agriculture markets with wholesale meat prices at their highest level in over a year.
These are examples of our adversaries attacking our critical infrastructure. First, they got us at the gas station, then they came after our hot dogs, what’s next? Or maybe the question is, “Who’s next?”
While these cyber attacks were short-lived, their resulting impact continues for much longer. The wake-up call is that we need to consider what would happen in the event of coordinated cyber attacks on all parts of a sector (e.g., all oil and gas producers) or even coordinated attacks on multiple sectors. We have seen what happens after just a few days of a cyber attack. The possibilities are frightening.
The answer is to elevate cyber security efforts across all of the critical infrastructure. If cyber criminals can take down such huge and vital parts of our infrastructure, no one is safe. We must ALL exercise cyber security to protect our way of life.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we can assess your existing IT security and collaborate with your team to enhance it. We can also provide a complete source of services. At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things. Contact us today or sign up for a free consultation.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things.