Service outages can bring emergency services like 911 to a standstill. While old tech is to blame in some cases, data from Carbyne and NENA\u2019s (911 Association) 2025 survey report<\/a> indicates that telephony denial of service (TDoS) attacks and cyber attacks were to blame for one in 10 outages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is particularly worrisome when you consider that NENA estimates that these centers handle the 240 million 911 calls made each year<\/a> (i.e., 457 calls per minute). But emergency services isn\u2019t the only critical infrastructure sector<\/a> that needs protection and is at risk due to modern cyber threats:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what can organizations do to mitigate these risks and improve critical infrastructure security?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s hash it out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n Warfare is no longer just a world of gunfire, missiles, and foxholes. Many wars are now waged in cyberspace, targeting countries\u2019 critical infrastructure, including hospitals, power grids, and water facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, attacks in the digital realm extend far beyond the reach of your company network. They have real-world repercussions that can result in people being hurt or killed. We\u2019ve seen this in Russian hackers\u2019 repeated attacks on Ukraine\u2019s electric grids, causing multiple localized blackouts since 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what about an attack on the U.S. critical infrastructure facilities and entities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If these systems are compromised or become inoperable, it can spell disaster for the thousands or potentially millions of people living in the targeted communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curious as to which sectors rank as cybercriminals\u2019 top targets? In 2024 alone, the FBI\u2019s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)<\/a> received 4,878 complaints from organizations across 14 of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors<\/a> (CIS) that were impacted by cyber threats. That\u2019s more than 18 reported complaints per day<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of those, the IC3 ranked the following critical infrastructure sectors by the number of reported ransomware attacks and data breaches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, these numbers represent strictly the reported issues. How many more went unnoticed or unreported? That\u2019s a good question, and one we\u2019ll likely never know the answer to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related: <\/strong>CISA Releases 13 Industrial Control Systems Advisories<\/a> (July 10, 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Claroty\u2019s independent global survey of 1,100 critical infrastructure professionals (The Global State of CPS Security 2024: Business Impact or Disruptions<\/a>) provides data showing that in the previous 12 months:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The financial costs of cyber attacks were largely the indirect<\/em> costs. We\u2019re talking about legal fees (31%), loss of customer and partner relationships (30%), regulatory fines (28%), and brand reputation recovery (27%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related:<\/strong> 2 Cyber Incidents That Cost One Company\u2019s Clients $6M+<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n And while money concerns are significant, there are other considerations related to poor critical infrastructure security that can keep you up at night:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related:<\/strong> By the Numbers: 50 Cyber Crime Statistics for 2025<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hacks and other cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure stem from many risk factors. And while some may involve complex and intricate plans, it\u2019s often the unsophisticated methods that are most effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following list of factors isn\u2019t comprehensive, but it underscores the growing need to improve critical infrastructure protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Password security is one crucial area in which many organizations fail. Employees using weak, easy-to-guess passwords (or using hard-coded or default credentials) leave organizations across all sectors vulnerable to account compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor passwords<\/a> can be brute forced, which seems to have been the case in the Norwegian dam cyber incident we mentioned earlier. Claroty reports<\/a> that the cybercriminal(s) gained access to the organization\u2019s OT environment by exploiting a weak password<\/a> on a \u201cweb-accessible control panel\u201d used to manage the dam\u2019s minimum water flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their activities went unnoticed for four hours, during which time (thankfully) no one was hurt. But things could have been a whole lot worse for people living in that region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related:<\/strong> Don\u2019t Let These Password Cracking Attacks Catch You Off Guard<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Industrial systems have lifespans that span decades. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), many of the power grids operating throughout the U.S.<\/a> were built when a beehive was a popular (yet questionable) lady\u2019s hairstyle and Freddie Mercury first sang \u201cBohemian Rhapsody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, internet security (understandably) wasn\u2019t a consideration when these systems were designed and put into operation. Unfortunately, bad guys also know this and actively seek ways to exploit these legitimate concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research from the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague recently published research covering 376 peer-reviewed Chinese studies relating to attack models on U.S. power grids. According to researcher Erika Langerov\u00e1<\/a>, Head of Cybersecurity Research at CTU UCEEB<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe warning signs are clear. Chinese scholars have built a vast body of detailed, simulation-based research on how to destabilize Western power grids, meanwhile Chinese cyber operators have already proven capable of gaining access to the very same real systems. Whether or not they plan to act, the mere existence of such capability demands serious defensive preparation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Did you know that 7 in 10 of the U.S.\u2019s drinking water systems don\u2019t meet baseline security requirements<\/a>? This lack of even basic security for these essential community water systems<\/a> is particularly concerning when you consider that there are many ways bad guys can infiltrate or otherwise attack critical infrastructure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related:<\/strong> Social Engineering Statistics 2025: When Cyber Crime & Human Nature Intersect<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, the biggest threats come from within. Research from Everfox<\/a> shows that one in three security leaders within the financial and banking sector recognize insider threats as a top security concern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, in 2024, a former Google engineer was indicted<\/a> for aiding Chinese firms by stealing AI trade secrets from his employer. And the Coinbase insider-assisted crypto data breach involved bribed customer-support agents<\/a> handing over customers\u2019 personal and financial data, including government documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data from Claroty\u2019s CPS survey of business disruptions indicates some serious concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of respondents cop to having \u201conly partial or no understanding of third-party connectivity to the CPS environment.\u201d So, if these numbers are based on an incomplete picture, it makes you wonder how many cyber incidents and data breaches may have gone unnoticed and unreported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Critical infrastructure security and cybersecurity ultimately boil down to resilience and having a comprehensive CIP strategy. It\u2019s not only about identifying threats but knowing how to respond while also keeping the lights on (and I mean that quite literally for a certain obvious sector) when crap hits the fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t protect yourself against 100% of threats. However, critical infrastructure protection can be layered to ensure your organization\u2019s communications, devices, networks, and other systems are as secure as possible against external and internal threats. We\u2019ll share some of these highlights and point you to some useful industry resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SAFECOM and the National Council on Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC) reiterate the importance of cyber risk assessments<\/a> and having current cyber incident response and vulnerability response plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The risk assessment helps organizations identify, document, and measure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This series of processes helps CIS organizations figure out which risk responses to prioritize and develop and implement plans to address them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s no secret that critical infrastructure organizations are increasingly implementing \u201csmart\u201d technologies across their networks. This means that the apps, IoT devices, or systems that critical infrastructure organizations rely on are connected to the internet. Bad guys can potentially access them, and insecure IoT devices expand organizations\u2019 attack surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related:<\/strong> A 5-Minute Guide on How to Secure IoT Devices Within Your Enterprise<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, all of these things should be closely tracked and monitored within your ecosystem. This way, you know what you have, where everything is, and which entities have access to XYZ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Track and log everything. Log what systems are connected to the internet, which entities have access to them, and which systems and individuals make changes (and specifically what changes are made).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember the SolarWinds SUNBURST supply chain attack<\/a> a few years back? In that situation, cybercriminals targeted the third-party service provider to inject malicious code into the company\u2019s Orion platform updates that went out to ~18,000 customers. The list of potential victims included U.S. government agencies, federal contractors, cybersecurity firms, and software companies (although it\u2019s estimated that \u201conly\u201d 100 were compromised by the attack).<\/p>\n\n\n\n What made things particularly challenging with regard to identifying and tracking the attackers is that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A crucial way to protect your network and all of the devices connected to it is to know who<\/em> or what<\/em> connects to it. This requires authenticating the external users, devices, or services that connect to your network, as well as those entities that are already inside it and whether they\u2019re connecting to the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But traditional passwords typically aren\u2019t enough. It\u2019s best to use multiple layers of security:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Much like their non-ICS counterparts, critical infrastructure organizations must have the tools and processes in place to identify and securely manage all human- and non-human identities on their networks. In terms of certificate-based identities, think of IoT device certificates and user authentication certificates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regularly scan and monitor your domain and network for any expired, revoked, rogue, or unauthorized certificates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n DigiCert Trust Lifecycle Manager is an all-in-one PKI & certificate lifecycle management (CLM) solution. Explore how this tool can help you keep a close eye on your PKI and avoid certificate outages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
An Overview of the Growing Need for Critical Infrastructure Protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Most Targeted Critical Infrastructure Sectors (CIS)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Cyber Threats Pose Skyrocketing Financial Concerns for CIS Organizations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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There Are Also the Non-Financial Costs to Consider\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A Look at the Causes of Critical Infrastructure Cyber Attacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Poor Security Measures and Practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Vulnerable, Aging Infrastructure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Poor Cybersecurity Hygiene and Awareness-Related Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Malicious Insiders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Remote Access and Supply Chain Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Critical Infrastructure Protection: How to Secure Your Systems Against Cyber Attacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Perform Regular Cyber Risk Assessments and Update Response Plans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Have Clear Visibility of Your Network(s) and Digital Assets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Track Critical Processes and Permissions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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3. Adopt Strong Authentication Mechanisms and Access Controls<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Securely Manage These Digital Identities<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>DigiCert Trust Lifecycle Manager Simplifies PKI & Digital Certificate Management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n