This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warned that cyberattacks against water utilities across the country are becoming more frequent and more severe. The agency urged water systems to take immediate actions to protect the nation’s drinking water. According to the EPA, there are more than 150,000 public water systems across the U.S. serving over 300 million people—virtually all of which are administered and secured at local levels of government.

It has always been clear, even before the Colonial Pipeline attack, that the energy sector is a prime target for not only criminal threat groups, but also nation-state actors. After all, halting fuel and energy supplies can quickly bring a region to a halt and thus require the highest level of cyber and physical security possible.

The Canadian, US, and UK governments issued a series of recommendations in their just-released security alert Defending OT Operations Against Ongoing Pro-Russia Hacktivist Activity, which mirror my own insights on the important topic. The alert notes that all three governments are aware of pro-Russia hacktivists targeting and compromising small-scale OT systems in North American and European Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS), Dams, Energy, and Food and Agriculture sectors.

Critical infrastructure services in North America face accelerating threats from both nation-states and other sophisticated threat actors. Governments globally are grappling with how to best balance incentives, support, and direct oversight. Meanwhile, critical infrastructure owners and operators face significant challenges with technology, staff resources, and expertise to better manage cyber resilience.

As 2024 continues forward, Australia and New Zealand’s critical infrastructure sectors face significant cybersecurity challenges. Critical infrastructure (CI) sectors–encompassing energy, healthcare, transportation, water, and communication–are at a pivotal moment in their evolution. The rapid digitisation of these sectors brings not only unprecedented efficiency and connectivity but also a significantly expanded attack surface.

In an era when every aspect of our society depends on reliable critical infrastructure, the role of identity security in safeguarding these essential services has never been more pivotal. With sophisticated cyberthreats escalating, understanding the transformational potential of identity security is akin to orchestrating a symphony. Each section – strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion – must perfectly harmonize to produce a masterpiece.

Operational technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are core parts of an engine fueling critical infrastructure in industrialized nations worldwide. Water treatment facilities. Wastewater plants. Electrical transmission and distribution hubs. Nuclear power and manufacturing plants. Energy pipelines.

Digital transformation powers critical infrastructure, the protection of systems is paramount. ThreatQuotient has announced its participation in the vendor affiliate program of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). This collaboration marks a significant step forward in fortifying North America’s electricity grid against cyber threats.

Today, in the heart of London, I caught sight of a screen on platform four at Vauxhall train station. On it was displayed a busy illustration of the marvels of modern transportation: trains moving seamlessly across multiple lines; their positions, destinations, and tracks all displaying tightly orchestrated precision in real-time. It was a compelling depiction of the complexity of a public rail system on a small island–a tightly woven network where data integrity is paramount.