What is Critical Infrastructure?
Critical infrastructure refers to the assets necessary for the stable functioning of modern societies. These infrastructure systems and networks provide the services, goods, and resources necessary to support daily life, promote economic growth, and ensure national security.
The interconnectedness of modern nations makes CIP vitally important. A side effect of increased reliance on digital technology is:
- Vulnerability to cyber threats
- Natural disasters
- Terrorist attacks
Critical Infrastructure Sectors That Require CIP
The United States Department of Homeland Security designated sixteen infrastructure sectors in need of protection, which includes:
- Agriculture and Food
- Chemical
- Large-scale manufacturing with automation systems
- Public Utilities (incl. Electricity, Gas, Water, Wastewater)
- Commercial Facilities
- Communications (incl Cellular, Internet, TV)
- Dams
- Transportation systems (incl highways, marine fleets, airlines)
- Defense Industrial
- Emergency Services
- Energy (incl. Oil refineries)
- Financial Services (incl Banking, Stock Markets)
- Government Facilities
- Healthcare and Public Health
- Information Technology
- Nuclear Energy
Each one of these sectors is deemed necessary by Homeland Security to provide a stable standard of living for citizens of the United States, thus the “critical infrastructure” designation.
Threats and Risks to Critical Infrastructure
Development of effective infrastructure protection strategies requires the assessment of potential threats.
- Cyber Threats: Cyberattacks pose a significant threat to critical infrastructure. Hacking, malware, and ransomware can inflict massive harm on infrastructure systems. Cybercriminals may target critical infrastructure to disrupt operations, steal sensitive data, or demand ransom in exchange for restoring operations. In many cases, threat actors target automation, telemetry, Industrial Control Systems, SCADA infrastructure, and OT (Operational Technologies).
- Natural Disasters: Wildfires, earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes can all inflict physical damage to infrastructure, causing operational disruptions. Natural disasters can cause widespread damage and be a trigger for cascading failures.
- Terrorist Threats: Terrorists engage in physical attacks or sabotage against infrastructure components like power stations and communications networks to disrupt operations. Moreover, it can be difficult to recover from the targeted destruction of key infrastructure.
Why Critical Infrastructure Protection Matters
Here’s why critical infrastructure protection matters:
- Protection of National Security: Disruptions to critical infrastructure can have wide-ranging effects on national security. For instance, a cyberattack on the power grid or communication networks could render military bases vulnerable to attack. CIP helps to ensure the nation is able to maintain its defenses and respond to threats.
- Economic Stability and Prosperity: Critical infrastructure is vitally important to protect businesses, industries, and entire economies. An attack on the supply chain or transportation systems could lead to shortages of goods and services, causing economic instability. Protecting critical infrastructure ensures uninterrupted economic flow, enabling businesses to operate effectively.
- Ensuring Public Health and Safety: Hospitals, emergency services, and water treatment facilities deliver essential services to support and ensure public health and well-being. Disruptions of these services can have catastrophic effects, including injury, loss of life, and persisting damage to public health.
Vulnerabilities exploited in one sector of infrastructure can potentially cascade to others, setting off a chain reaction of failures. For example, a terrorist attack that destroys transportation infrastructure could disrupt supply chains and thus impact economic activity.
These events could then have complex carryover effects which further threaten national security.
A government’s primary mission is to protect its citizens. Below, we take a look at the role that the government plays in protecting critical infrastructure.
The Role of Government in Critical Infrastructure Protection
Governments have the authority to develop policies, regulations and initiatives to promote the security and resilience of critical infrastructure.
- Government Efforts and Initiatives: The U.S. government has developed programs aimed at critical infrastructure protection, namely the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). NIPP emphasizes coordination between government agencies and the public sector to prevent and respond to attacks on infrastructure.
Federal Agencies and Their Responsibilities
Here are the responsibilities of federal agencies:
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS): DHS provides leadership, coordination, and guidance to prevent and respond to attacks on critical infrastructure.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA responds to disasters that affect critical infrastructure. FEMA also provides resources and support to help infrastructure owners and operators handle and recover from emergencies.
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): A component of DHS, CISA’s role is to provide support, guidance, training, and technical assistance to critical infrastructure owners and partners.
- Critical Infrastructure Owners and Partnerships: Effective CIP requires collaboration between the public and private sectors. Owners and operators of critical infrastructure are encouraged to work closely with DHS, FEMA, and CISA to establish protective measures and coordinate responses to threats.
Strategies and Measures for Critical Infrastructure Protection
Now we’ll cover three key components of CIP: risk assessment, compliance enforcement, and physical security.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation Strategies
- Risk Management: Identifying and planning for potential risks to critical infrastructure, including threat modeling, vulnerability assessments, and risk scoring helps to prioritize mitigation efforts.
- Security Measures: Deploying security controls like firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS), and segmenting networks to limit the spread of intrusion attempts, and developing incident response plans to handle and recover from breaches. In these environments, the network firewalls need specific capabilities to secure critical protocols for ICS (Industrial Control Systems), OT (Operational Technologies), SCADA, and IoT environments.
Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Programs
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework: The National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF) offers guidelines to identify, detect and respond to cyber attacks.
- ISO 27001: A standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Provides best practices to protect sensitive company information, including guidance for people, processes, and systems.
- SOC 2: Particularly applicable to technology and cloud computing companies, SOC 2 compliance requires stringent business controls on the privacy, security, availability, and integrity of company data.
Development and Implementation of Physical Security Plans
- Risk Management: Identifying vulnerabilities in physical security, assessing those risks, and prioritizing mitigation reduce risks and eliminate threats to critical infrastructure.
- Security Measures: Implementing a layered approach to physical security, including perimeter control, surveillance systems, access controls, emergency response planning, and employee awareness programs help organizations to prevent and respond to incidents.
Top 5 CIP Technologies for Enterprises
Here are the most important technologies needed to secure organizations against threats.
- Surveillance and Monitoring Systems: Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, thermal imaging cameras, and automated monitoring software enable the detection of potential threats and help organizations identify threats before they become breaches.
- Access Control Systems: Security gates, RFID tags, biometric scanners, smart card access, and other control methods protect sensitive areas and systems from unauthorized access.
- Communication Networks: Satellite communications, private cellular networks, and redundant fiber optic links all promote availability and continuity of operations during critical events.
- Predictive Analytics and AI: Anomaly detection, predictive maintenance systems, and geospatial analytics all give organizations the capability to predict and mitigate risks to critical infrastructure.
- Cybersecurity Solutions: Cybersecurity architecture that includes firewalls, intrusion detection/intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and related technologies all protect systems from cyber threats.
Protect Critical Infrastructure with Quantum Rugged
Securing critical infrastructure is a top priority in sectors like energy, manufacturing, industrial, and utilities. Neglecting cybersecurity posture can have devastating consequences, including loss of life, economic disruption, and large-scale environmental damage.
Check Point’s Quantum Rugged security gateways are designed to ensure secure and resilient industrial control systems operations, and safeguard operational technology from cybersecurity risks.
Schedule a demo of Quantum Rugged today to learn how Check Point can help your organization protect its critical infrastructure from cyber threats.
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