Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) in the critical infrastructure industry face a myriad of challenges, given the high stakes involved and the evolving threat landscape. Let us look at these and the solutions BSS Unit’s Cyber Intel Matrix (CIM) tool can provide to make the CISO’s work easier and at the same time more effective.
1) Sophisticated Cyber Threats: Critical infrastructure is often targeted by advanced cyber threats from nation-states, cybercriminal organizations, and hacktivists. These threats continuously evolve, making it difficult for CISOs to stay ahead.
CIM provides an extensive database of nation-state actors (APT Groups = Advanced Persistent Threats) with real-time information about their target countries, target industries, CVE vulnerabilities they thend to exploit, malware associated with them, and even names and pictures of known wanted individuals working for them.
2) Legacy Systems and Technology: Many critical infrastructure systems rely on outdated technology and legacy systems that may lack modern security features and are vulnerable to cyber attacks. Updating these systems while ensuring uninterrupted operations poses a significant challenge.
There is usually a good reason why certain core systems are left untouched and CISOs do not rush to update their firmware of software. CIM draws attention to the existence and severity of these “open doors” while estimating the time and cost of a remediation. CIM also provides a vulnerability and exposure mapping of connected systems, so an eventual upgrade may be planned.
3) Complex Regulatory Environment: The critical infrastructure industry is subject to a complex regulatory landscape with numerous compliance requirements and standards to adhere to, such as NERC CIP, NIST, and industry-specific regulations. Ensuring compliance while maintaining effective security measures can be challenging.
CIM can be used to measure the effectiveness of GRC solutions. A visual representation of the drop in vulnerabilities and potentially leaked information after certain compliance regimes have been implemented will convince stakeholders of the effectiveness of these measures and provide continuous monitoring over time.
4) Limited Resources and Budget Constraints: CISOs often face resource constraints, including limited budgets, personnel shortages, and competing priorities within their organizations. This makes it challenging to implement robust cybersecurity measures and invest in necessary technologies and talent.
This is exactly why companies which live in the real world are more successful. CIM provides cumulative historical and real-time data which would be extremely costly to produce in-house.
5) Supply Chain Risks: Critical infrastructure relies on interconnected supply chains, which can introduce additional cybersecurity risks. CISOs must assess and manage the security posture of third-party vendors and partners to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities effectively.
The non-invasive methods CIM uses for supply chain monitoring provide an up-to-date overview of prioritized risks in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-party supplier base. Both technical (software & hardware) and data risks are evaluated, the latter being PII, PHI, leaked information, breached credentials, compromised intellectual property, executives’ personal data, information related to brands, trademarks, assets, and other relevant intel.
6) Physical Security Integration: Securing critical infrastructure involves not only protecting digital assets but also integrating physical security measures. CISOs must collaborate with physical security teams to address the convergence of cyber and physical threats effectively.
CIM CTI (Cyber Threat Intelligence) regarding connected hardware and software systems, especially Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and IoT, including video analytics cameras, security sensors and access control systems, provides advanced warning regarding exposure, vulnerabilities, and risk as the physical and digital worlds merge. For example real-time theat intel regarding suppliers with clearance, authorized personnel, and even occasional visitors can alert security before or during regular maintenance sessions, if necessary.
7) Cyber-Physical Threats: The increasing convergence of cyber and physical systems introduces new threats, such as cyber-physical attacks targeting industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT). CISOs must implement strategies to defend against these hybrid threats effectively.
CIM can provide information about impending attacks, and suspicious activity. Regular entity monitoring reports about known adversaries are helpful in preventing attacks involving for example electronic jamming equipment flown over the premises using UAVs, signal gathering devices smuggled in to the premises, or unauthorized personnel gathering information after a tailgating entry.
8) Incident Response and Resilience: Developing robust incident response plans and maintaining business continuity and resilience in the face of cyber attacks and other disruptions is a significant challenge for CISOs in critical infrastructure. They must ensure rapid response and recovery to minimize the impact of incidents.
The CIM intelligence reports keep Incident Response Plans up to date, drawing attention to real-time mentions and related activity on the Dark Web and sharp awareness of the current geopolitical context.
9) Skills Gap and Talent Shortage: There is a shortage of cybersecurity professionals with expertise in critical infrastructure security. CISOs struggle to recruit and retain skilled personnel capable of addressing the unique challenges of securing critical infrastructure.
There is never enough talented and qualified personnel in any organization. This is the reason the professionally parsed and curated information provided by CIM is so useful in saving time and expenses, so the CISO’s team can focus on what they are best at.
10) Geopolitical Risks: Critical infrastructure may be targeted as part of geopolitical conflicts or state-sponsored cyber campaigns. CISOs must consider geopolitical factors and collaborate with government agencies and international partners to address these risks effectively.
CIM provides evidence to support claims of attacks, and what is even more important, helps prevent incidents by exposing preliminary plans of adversary groups. With digital eyes and ears always open to the broader world, more literally the darker world, with the realization that “state-sponsored cyber campaigns” are actually part of an ongoing cyber war, high-level cooperation with law enforcement is essential, made easy using a tool like CIM.
Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach that encompasses technology, processes, people, and collaboration with stakeholders both within and outside the organization. CISOs must continuously adapt their strategies to mitigate evolving threats and ensure the resilience of critical infrastructure systems.
They deserve all our respect!