In 2018, Russia decided to hit the critical infrastructures all around the world with series of cyber attacks, aiming at tens of thousands of devices around the planet. Consequently, in April, the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS), collaboratively issued an alert sounding the alarm that the Russian Government had orchestrated an assault aimed at millions of computer routers, firewalls, and other networking apparatus employed by infrastructure stewards, governmental bodies, and private enterprises. As stated in this warning, the main focuses of this malicious cyber activity include government and private companies, those responsible for vital infrastructure, and the internet service providers (ISPs) that assist these sectors.
As we witness hackers persistently directing their efforts toward Critical National Infrastructures (CNIs), we also observe that the advancement of cyber defense is not keeping stride. Coupled with the reality that the public sector employs a vast workforce globally, it becomes evident how formidable the task of safeguarding against external and insider threats can be.
Nevertheless, this is precisely the moment when we should embrace a mindset of "there are no problems, only solutions" and address each challenge confronting CNIs.
Sensitivity to breaches
As mentioned previously, in April, the regulatory bodies issued an advisory to caution about a persistent cyber assault targeting companies. The advisory indicated the presence of "awareness regarding a persistent attack campaign targeting numerous companies within the supply chain of critical infrastructure" and noted that "these assaults have persisted since at least March of 2017." Critical National Infrastructures (CNIs) encounter the ongoing dilemma of striking a balance between accessibility and transparency while safeguarding sensitive information belonging to stakeholders.
Although the primary thrust of its security strategy revolves around offering preventive tools, techniques, and procedures, CNIs should expand their focus beyond prevention to encompass detection, response, and recovery. Actionable threat intelligence, when integrated with existing preventive tools through a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP), represents the most effective approach for promptly detecting, responding to, and recovering from a malicious intrusion.
Resources
Were you aware that one of the primary risk areas for CNIs pertains to their internal assets? This included all sorts of targets such as technology and financial backing. The cybersecurity skills deficit in the public sector has become common knowledge, and if Frost & Sullivan's 2016 predictions hold true, the global cybersecurity workforce could fall short by approximately 3.5 million personnel by 2025. So, how can we address this shortfall or, at the very least, mitigate the vulnerabilities to cyber threats?
It could be contended that bolstering employee awareness might be achieved by consolidating raw threat data with the current security information and event management (SIEM) and log management tools, offering what appears to be a straightforward resolution. However, the reality is that this approach may not yield the desired outcome, as it could exacerbate alert fatigue among an already overwhelmed workforce. Nonetheless, as previously mentioned, challenges can be reframed as opportunities. Alert fatigue can be mitigated, and situational awareness can be expedited through the application of prioritized, contextually pertinent, real-time threat intelligence that seamlessly integrates with established tools and protocols. The incorporation of a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) facilitates this integration, resulting in the optimization of scarce resources.
Enhancing Situational Awareness
To expedite the detection and response process, it is imperative to harness suitable technology in conjunction with comprehensive staff training. But hold on, isn't there existing technology for this purpose? Indeed, it's referred to as a threat intelligence platform, and a robust one can furnish organizations with the prioritization, contextual understanding, and real-time insights needed to achieve these objectives. Taking help from service providers like IT Services Chicago can also be a significant step in mitigating these issues. They seamlessly integrate with pre-existing threat feeds, SIEM systems, and other security tools to optimize the utilization of available resources – both personnel and technology. This approach empowers security personnel to effectively prioritize vulnerability mitigation by assessing vulnerabilities in light of currently active exploits.
Threat Environment
Given the constantly expanding threat landscape, organizations encounter two prominent drivers behind this phenomenon. Firstly, they contend with a substantial volume of exceedingly sensitive data, along with unpatched, vulnerable, and at times, unsupported operating systems. These factors render them an attractive target for malicious actors. Secondly, the attack surface of these organizations is broadening as they swiftly transition to cloud-based environments and incorporate mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Consequently, to safeguard their digital terrain from threats, it becomes imperative for them to uphold their oversight over the entire infrastructure while also periodically reassessing and reordering their threat intelligence priorities.
What Critical Infrastructures Can Do to Mitigate These Risks?
Organizations can bolster their cybersecurity by implementing a threat intelligence platform that enables them to:
- Centralize various forms of external and internal threat intelligence, whether structured or unstructured, such as Open-source intelligence (OSINT) feeds and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) data, as well as vulnerability information.
- Attain a comprehensive view of their entire infrastructure, encompassing on-premises systems, cloud environments, IoT devices, mobile devices, and legacy systems, by contextualizing vulnerability data and threat intelligence with active threats.
- Mitigate alert fatigue by offering context and prioritization to the provided threat intelligence.
- Streamline response efforts for organizations, prioritizing critical concerns for effective action.
- Proactively seek out malicious activity that could jeopardize sensitive records.
- Extend their focus beyond mere protection to include detection, response, and recovery.
- Expedite the analysis and response to cyberattacks through collaborative threat analysis, fostering mutual understanding, facilitating inter-agency collaboration, and significantly enhancing response capabilities.
- Automatically disseminate pertinent threat intelligence to detection and response tools.
Conclusion
As should be evident at this juncture, there's no ultimate remedy that can shield you from the full spectrum of hazards. Nevertheless, a multitude of potential answers abound, and the primary goal should entail identifying the apt match that aligns with your specific prerequisites and the quandaries confronting CNIs. The government bodies has proffered counsel to operators in electricity, water, energy, transport, health, or digital infrastructure, advocating a steadfast focus on adherence to the cybersecurity measures.
The regularity bodies have further imparted comprehensive guidance, enumerating four pivotal objectives: the management of security risk, safeguarding against assaults, the detection of security occurrences, and the curbing of incident repercussions. This affords ample justification to turn to a reliable provider who can aid security operational teams in comprehending and effectively reacting to the most pertinent threats, thereby ultimately realizing greater achievements, at an expedited pace, leveraging their preexisting security infrastructure and human resources.