Critical infrastructure depends on interconnected operational systems, where cyber incidents can disrupt essential services, safety, and availability.
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Critical infrastructure includes systems and assets vital for public health, safety, and economic stability, such as power grids, water treatment, transportation networks, and healthcare facilities. These systems often combine physical components with industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) that manage essential services in real time.
From an information-security perspective, critical infrastructure faces risks like unauthorized access to control systems, disruption of service availability, and manipulation of sensor data. Defending these assets requires specialized security measures tailored to ICS environments, including network segmentation, strict access controls, and continuous monitoring for anomalies. Ensuring resilience also involves coordinated efforts between operators and government agencies to address vulnerabilities unique to legacy systems and proprietary protocols.
Also: the Recent Ransomware Surge, Crypto Reserve ControversyIn this week's update, four ISMG editors discussed the recent surge in ransomware attacks, implications of the U.S. military's pause on cyber operations against Russia, and President Trump's bold but controversial plan to create a national cryptocurrency reserve.
Biden-Era Cyber Aid Programs Are Still Available, But Future is UncertainEven though rural hospitals and other small healthcare providers don't have deep pockets, cybercriminals continue to target them with ransomware, often causing serious disruption and compromises affecting large swaths of patients. What can be done to help them strengthen cybersecurity?
Artificial intelligence-based tools are among the most promising advancing technologies for healthcare sector organizations to help to address cybersecurity resource shortages, said Chris Tyberg, CISO of medical device and consumer health product manufacturer Abbott.
The use of artificial intelligence is not only reshaping healthcare delivery in the sector but also healthcare cybersecurity within organizations, said Anahi Santiago, CISO of ChristianaCare, the largest healthcare delivery organization in the state of Delaware.
Legacy apps and medical devices continue to pose persistent and considerable risk to healthcare IT environments, and many organizations are still unaware of their prevalence in their settings, said Keith Fricke, partner and principal consultant at tw-Security, who discusses mitigation steps to take.
Quantum computing could bring the next technology "revolution" in healthcare, but organizations will face critical cybersecurity issues when quantum becomes a reality, said attorney Lee Kim, senior principal of cybersecurity and privacy at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
The Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council is kicking off a health sector mapping initiative aimed at helping the ecosystem avoid massive disruptions in the event of major cyber incidents, said Greg Garcia, executive director of cybersecurity at the Healthcare Sector Coordinating Council.
As clinicians move to a model of working anywhere, on many types of devices and under a variety of different internet environments, web browser security is a heightened concern, said John Frushour, vice president and CISO at New York Presbyterian Hospital and CyberEdBoard member.
Committee Witnesses Favor Resilience Over BansThe British government should focus on building operational resilience rather than imposing ransom payment bans, security experts told a parliamentary committee. The British government in January floated a ban on public sector and critical infrastructure owners paying digital extortion.