Physical Security: Still Critical in the Digital Age

In an era where digital threats seem to dominate headlines, it's easy to assume that the greatest security risks are virtual. From cyberattacks on corporate databases to ransomware affecting healthcare systems, businesses and governments are increasingly focused on cyber security. However, as the digital age advances, physical security remains as critical as ever, particularly in protecting infrastructure, supply chains, and valuable resources from evolving real-world threats.

In December 2022, coordinated attacks on electrical substations in North Carolina cut power to over 40,000 homes and businesses, leaving communities in darkness for days. While the U.S. power grid has sophisticated digital systems designed to prevent cyber breaches, these were powerless to stop a physical attack. Gunmen targeted key substations, disabling equipment essential to electricity supply, with law enforcement citing deliberate sabotage.

The power grid, although increasingly reliant on digitisation for efficiency and monitoring, still depends on physical assets—transformers, substations, and transmission lines—that can be targeted. The North Carolina attack cost millions in repairs, lost business productivity, and left more than 38,000 people without electricity. As grids around the world expand in the transition to net zero that countries have signed up to, the attack surface for physical threats will only grow.

In global shipping, despite the rise of satellite tracking and digital monitoring systems designed to protect global shipping routes, physical attacks from insurgent groups continue to pose significant risks. In the first 8 months of 2024, the amount of crude oil and oil products being shipped through the Bab el-Mandeb – the southern entrance to the Red Sea – dropped by more than 50%, as the Houthi militia in Yemen targeted ships. The effects of the resulting price volatility and supply shortages are felt globally. Even the most digitally advanced technology systems cannot eliminate the need for security presence and naval protections against physical threats.

Although computers play an ever-increasing role in our economies and lives, we cannot escape the physical reality of the infrastructure that powers it all. These incidents remind us that the most effective security strategies integrate both physical and digital layers. For businesses today, understanding and addressing these connected vulnerabilities is essential to ensuring operational resilience.