The
KnowBe4
2024 Global Infrastructure Report highlights several key concerns that resonate deeply with our ongoing CI cybersecurity challenges:
- Escalating Threats: European infrastructure, especially the energy sector, is under an onslaught of cyberattacks, which have grown significantly since the geopolitical tensions arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With utilities facing increasing threats, our organisations are constantly assessing vulnerabilities, particularly in light of increasing attempts from state-sponsored groups like those linked to Russia and China.
- Targeted Critical Infrastructure: Attacks are no longer aimed at stealing data but are focused on disrupting control systems. This could cripple vital services like transportation, energy grids, and telecommunications, all of which underpin the stability of our society. For instance, recent attacks on Denmark’s and Poland’s energy systems demonstrate how adversaries are refining their strategies to target critical nodes.
- Growing Vulnerabilities: With the convergence of IT and operational technologies (OT), the attack surface for cybercriminals has expanded. Vulnerabilities in control systems, like those in power grids, are exploited, leaving us to continuously improve asset management, incident response playbooks, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) protocols to mitigate risks.
- A Proactive Defense Posture: Establishing a strong security culture is crucial. This involves regular training to lower the susceptibility of personnel to phishing attacks, a common entry point for cybercriminals. The report notes that consistent security awareness can reduce vulnerability significantly, making our human resources less prone to error. Share intel!
- Collaboration and Preparedness: Building resilience is not just about technology, but partnerships. We must work closely with government agencies, industry peers, and threat intelligence networks to anticipate and respond to emerging threats. Additionally, routine tabletop exercises and the updating of incident response playbooks are essential to ensuring readiness.
In this evolving threat landscape, we need to remain vigilant, knowing that our efforts to safeguard Europe’s critical infrastructure play a pivotal role in maintaining both national security and societal stability.
Captain A320, CISO, Aviation Cybersecurity Expert, International Keynote Speaker, MSc Cybersecurity
1 个月Thx, Dimitri van Zantvliet, for the summary and highlights. It confirms what we know and see in the field. We can also easily extrapolate where this is going. It also highlights what needs to be done. ‘Sharing, sharing and sharing’ and ‘Stronger together’ should be our mantras to increase critical infrastructure cyber resilience. ???? ???? Nation state threat actors are not going to stop anytime soon trying to disrupt our critical infrastructure, as part of their hybrid warfare against any democracy they can find. It’s a cheap weapon. It’s a very effective weapon that stays below the radar of mainstream news. And from a diplomatic perspective it’s a perfect weapon, because attribution is difficult, and you can eternally deny involvement.
Passionate AI Innovator | Ex Accenture Leader | Driving Rail Innovation and Collaboration at Microsoft | Transforming Ideas into Impact | Open to Collaborations and Exciting Opportunities #Ai #Innovation#Partnerships
1 个月Mirad Maglic