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.
Pharmaceutical companies typically have more mature cyber programs than other healthcare factions, but these firms also face unique risks involving their large attack surfaces, complex manufacturing, supply chains and sensitive intellectual property, said Joshua Mullen of Booz Allen Hamilton.
Old Visuals, AI Deepfakes and Fake Claims Go Viral Amid Escalating ConflictMisinformation is going viral in India as the New Delhi government called Friday on the financial sector to strengthen cyber defenses amid growing military activity along the Pakistani border. Tensions between the two countries ratcheted significantly upward Friday.
Union Health System Among Many Cerner Legacy Data Clients Affected by BreachAn Indiana health system is among the first healthcare organizations notifying regulators and thousands of people affected by the Oracle hack in January. Attackers compromised legacy patient data hosted by Cerner servers that were set to migrate to Oracle's cloud environment.
NCSC Expects Attack Volume by 'Advanced Threat Actors' to Rise Sharply by 2027Proliferation of AI-enabled technology will widen access to offensive tools by nation-state groups and other hackers. The volume of attacks is expected to rise significantly by 2027, and British critical infrastructure will be a prime target, the National Cybersecurity Center said.
Ex-Deputy NSA Anne Neuberger on Preparing for AI-Driven ThreatsAnne Neuberger, former deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies, White House, outlines the urgent need for resilient critical infrastructure, strategic AI use in cybersecurity, and enhanced federal-state coordination to protect against evolving cyberthreats.
Fortinet Uncovers Long-Term Cyberespionage in RegionAn Iranian state-sponsored threat group conducted a years-long cyberespionage campaign targeting a Middle East critical infrastructure provider, with its operational technology network a key target. The attackers focused reconnaissance activity and credential theft on the OT network.