QuSecure’s Post

The New Geopolitical Weapon: The Impact of Cyberattacks Against Critical Infrastructure https://lnkd.in/ee9SeMzu Electricity, transportation, water, communications – these are just some of the systems and assets that keep the world functioning. Critical infrastructure, a complex interconnected ecosystem, is what props entire countries up and is vital for the functioning of society and the economy. This is why it is under attack. Threat actors, usually nation-state backed, know this very well. By taking down the poorly protected power grid of a city or even a country, cyber attackers cannot only cause mass chaos, but any threat to the critical infrastructure sectors could have potentially debilitating national security, economic and public health or safety […]

The New Geopolitical Weapon: The Impact of Cyberattacks Against Critical Infrastructure https://lnkd.in/efmqvm8i Electricity, transportation, water, communications – these are just some of the systems and assets that keep the world functioning. Critical infrastructure, a complex interconnected ecosystem, is what props entire countries up and is vital for the functioning of society and the economy. This is why it is under attack. Threat actors, usually nation-state backed, know this very well. By taking down the poorly protected power grid of a city or even a country, cyber attackers cannot only cause mass chaos, but any threat to the critical infrastructure sectors could have potentially debilitating national security, economic and public health or safety […]

THE PROBLEM WITH THE UNIMAGINABLE, IS THAT IT CANNOT BE IMAGINED. IT CAN ONLY ARRIVE AND STUPEFY: Many of the tactics that Volt Typhoon uses to obfuscate its activities, gain access to a network, and maintain that access are relatively easy for any skilled hacker to do. "So long as the fears about Chinese espionage and a potential invasion of Taiwan exist, infrastructure operators will continue to be targets." And for the U.S. that means the targeting of electric grid operators, shipping ports and water systems. The problem? Clamping down on the nefarious activity requires a level of coordination among critical infrastructure operators that doesn't really exist. https://lnkd.in/ggg3gs4E #auguryit #cysec #chinatech

The Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) met yesterday at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). While cyber and physical security, resource adequacy, emergency preparedness and response, and resilient communications were among many of the issues discussed, at the forefront one key theme emerged- the electric sector remains focused on a secure, reliable and resilient grid. Look forward to working with #Trump47, and former #Trump45 colleagues, on this critical mission.

This article reminds me of all the articles, professional webinars, and meetings I attended pre-2019 on pandemic awareness and response. It was interesting during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic when news and government entities would say the pandemic was "Unforeseeable", "Black Swan", ect. I found those comments interesting given how much information I had seen about it prior to late 2019. Even the WEF and UN did a detailed war gaming for global pandemics in 2018 and 2019. Given all the attention to electric utility attacks, specifically cyber. As noted in this article that over 90 known attacks in just the first quarter of 2023. I think we should all be watching out for our community infrastructure in coming months. The next question being: is your household ready? Is your business ready? https://lnkd.in/g8BTKDyz

Critical National Infrastructure organizations rely heavily on outdated legacy systems and is one of the most prized targets for cybercriminals globally. With threats coming from a nation-state level, threat actors look to undermine democracy and pursue economic gain through attacks which often threaten physical safety and even loss of life. In Kate O'Flaherty’s recent article in ITPro, our COO Stephen Kines explains that such legacy CNI systems were "Designed without security in mind, [and such] antiquated infrastructure often lacks the capability for vulnerability patches or straightforward upgrades, leaving them exposed to modern #cyberthreats", and highlighting the importance of investing in network segmentation and keeping systems offline to reduce the threat. https://lnkd.in/eihcGdpW #NATODIANA #NCSCForStartups #MadeInUK

I heard this on the radio the other day and was excited to hear coverage of something that I work with in my professional life. This article highlights that GPS is critical infrastructure, not hustle for the US, but the world. GPS is much more vulnerable to attack compared to hard wired networks. That is why all electrical systems should have a Time of Day backup source, such as PTP (IEEE 1588 Ethernet protocol) and high accuracy oscillator. GPS jammers and spoofers can be bought online for less than $100 these days, making the risks even greater. #gps #infrastructure #cybersecurity #timing

I agree that the recent comments made by Senator Rubio and Director Easterly are cause for concern. We must take all necessary steps to protect our nation's cybersecurity infrastructure. I hope that the Federal Departments and Agencies will work together to develop a comprehensive plan of action. I have been sounding the alarm about this risk for over three years since the Solar Winds Breach. Our critical infrastructure is at risk and we need to take immediate action to identify malicious code embedded in our critical infrastructure. I am glad Congress finally got the message. China is getting ready to take Taiwan and they plan to keep us busy dealing with power outages, telecommunication outages, and water treatment plant outages so that we will not be in a position to defend Taiwan due to the major infrastructure problems we will face. I cannot think of a higher priority for the US government than addressing this problem. The balloon that China floated over the US was China probing our defenses to see if they could deploy an EMP from a hot air balloon. Unfortunately, the media and the US government played it down. This was a huge miss by NORAD not identifying the threat. #cybersecurity #criticalinfrastructure #china

https://lnkd.in/ey3DAk2S An intriguing article on the 'Tsunami of challenges' facing the Water sector in the US the outlines failures to plug OT Security holes in this notoriously leaky sector (puns are not my own 😄). In all seriousness, the rejection of regulation, lack of incentive to invest in OT Security and the heterogenous infrastructures of the myriad operators presents a potentially catastrophic risk. #OTsecurity #watersecurity Xcede EarthStream Global

National Security Memorandum-22 (NSM-22), released in April, is a pivotal development for the U.S. energy sector. This new National Security Memorandum significantly reinforces the Department of Energy and CESER’s role in risk management and operational collaboration, positioning us to better address the pressing challenges of climate change, cyber threats, and physical risks. By enhancing CESER’s capabilities, NSM-22 ensures that we can build a more resilient and secure energy infrastructure, safeguarding our nation’s critical systems and supporting a sustainable energy future. Learn more about these groundbreaking initiatives and the path forward for energy security: https://lnkd.in/eqXVp2b5 #EnergySecurity