The Bridge - Issue 2, 2023 - 18

Feature
Bridging the Gap between Cybersecurity and Reliability for Critical National Infrastructures
Specifically, this includes the implementation of effective
measures for robust cybersecurity, such as emergency
response programs, intrusion detection systems, and
security firewalls.
* Improving the process of maintenance and recovery:
Ensuring the reliability of CNIs requires regular
maintenance and recovery. The focus of upcoming
efforts could be on enhancing repair and service
processes, including employing technologies for predictive
maintenance and developing resilient emergency plans.
For example, wearable sensors and ultrasonic testing can
be used as predictive maintenance technologies. The
secured wearable sensors are connected to the machine
or mounted by service technicians to track the status of
the machine in real time. Secured ultrasonic testing uses
high-frequency sound waves to identify defects such as
cracks or other faults in the machine.
* Cooperation and communication for reliability:
Cooperation and communication among the various
organizations and authorities that are responsible for the
CNIs is fundamental to their reliability. Future work should
focus on enhancing collaboration and coordination among
these entities to provide timely emergency incident
response and effective decision-making.
* Enhancing the regulation of cybersecurity: At present,
there are no complete cybersecurity regulations in place
to secure CNIs. Countries and governments require the
development and enforcement of enhanced regulations
to guarantee that adequate cybersecurity measures
are in place for organizations that utilize critical
infrastructure.
* Cybersecurity technology investment: To efficiently deploy
defenses against cyber threats, organizations require
investment in cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies
such as Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Internet of Things
(IoT) security, network security analytics, biometric
authentication, blockchain technology [9], artificial
intelligence , and machine learning . The focus of future
work in this area should be on the development and
implementation of these technologies to enhance the
global security posture of CNIs.
* Internet of intelligence security: As more and more smart
things are connected to the internet, the potential for
cyberattacks against these smart things will continue to
increase. Securing these connected smart devices and
supporting networks will be a major challenge in the
future.
* Increased awareness and training in cybersecurity: In order
for criminals to gain access to a target, they only need
to find one human, preferably one with high privileges,
who is using insecure passwords or who can be tricked
into giving information away [10]. Upcoming work efforts
are expected to focus on cybersecurity awareness and
training for employees working in critical areas of CNIs.
The following five awareness and training strategies can
be used to enhance cybersecurity: 1) recognizing and
reporting cyber threats and incidents; 2) understanding
data privacy and laws such as GDPR and HIPAA; 3)
recognizing and avoiding phishing attacks; 4) strong
password creation and management; and 5) use of
secure networks and encryption.
Concluding remarks
A large-scale failure in CNIs could lead to disruptions in
critical services like heating, water supply, internet access,
mobile communications, online banking, transportation,
and almost every aspect of our modern digital lives. In this
article, we presented a holistic approach to addressing
attacks and failures at CNIs by merging cybersecurity and
reliability. We believe that the work presented in this article,
can serve as a basis for further research in this area.
REFERENCES
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10. 2022 Data Threat Report, Critical Inftrastructure Edition,
https://cpl.thalesgroup.com/critical-infrastructure-data-threatreport#download-popup
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THE BRIDGE

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The Bridge - Issue 2, 2023

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