Cyberthreats are more imminent and dangerous than ever in terms of their persistence and severity. The volume keeps growing too, with the number of breaches rising 15.1% from 2020 to 2021. The costs per breach are also increasing–jumping 24.5% during the same period. A recent ThoughtLab study revealed the top cybersecurity challenges that are top-of-mind for IT leaders.
sources:
1) Automation answers for cybersecurity challenges - ServiceNow
2) New Special Issue Title Cyber Security for IT Systems, in Journal - pplied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417)
Exploring the potential of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies to enhance the security and resilience of critical infrastructure systems.
I believe parallel processing and AI (specifically Neural Networks) offer the best hope out of the currently available tech. Parallelism because of hardware processing speed (for formulation of a Response) and shear traffic volume considerations (Denial of Service attacks overwhelming critical points in our environment) all while remaining in the Cost envelope we can support, and Neural Networks again because of speed of adaptation to new attack structures. It seems to me that if you consider this with a game theory view, our current solutions to the problem of defense is we have what I have been calling Negative Leverage. (What I mean by that is we are trying to defeat an attack with only our own resources. The opponent can be anything from a Country (with almost unlimited resources) or multiple entities [Bots] only limited by the number of internet addresses), or combinations of both. Even the most simplistic analysis of this "game" will tell you that we can not win! After thinking about it, I have come to the realization that we must change the rules and/or applicable laws if we are to be successful.
My suggestion is to address to issue of responsibility. Currently, any one from a bored child on his home computer, to a state sponsored entity, can attack any know internet address, with no consequences in most cases. What I think is the answer to this issue is to introduce a "fear factor" to deter attacks. Under current US law (what I am most familiar with) it is illegal to insert code onto a computer you do not own (or are authorized to use). This has resulted in protecting attackers from an offensive response to date.
I would suggest a "passive aggressive" response to avoid breaking the law. (The insertion of responsive code is avoided by the attacker downloading the code embedded in his target data. This code could be concealed by Steganography tech and kept inactive/passive while still on the defended site using a variation of a "poison pill". [Becomes active if does not receive a "sleep" message" as scheduled.] This has the further advantage from the defender point of view, that if the embedded code stays inactive past the attacker's backup cycle [or better yet, cycles] it can result in significant resources being consumed to sanitize their environment. Thus achieving the goal of making the data theft not worth the trouble.
Advanced research and development are needed to secure Cyber Communication Critical Infrastructures (CCCI) from the rise in sophisticated cyber attacks. Addressing growing risks and improving critical infrastructure resilience should guide future research. Here are some significant research fields and reading suggestions:
1. APT identification and Response: - Explore novel ways for early identification and mitigation of critical infrastructure-targeted APTs.
See Tyler Wrightson's "Advanced Persistent Threat Hacking: The Art and Science of Hacking Any Organisation".
2. AI and Machine Learning for Threat Intelligence: - Investigate real-time threat intelligence and predictive analytics to prevent cyber threats.
"Machine Learning and Security: Protecting Systems with Data and Algorithms" by Clarence Chio and David Freeman.
3. Blockchain for Secure Communication: - Study using blockchain technology for tamper-proof communication in critical infrastructure networks.
- "Blockchain for Cybersecurity and Privacy: Architectures, Challenges, and Applications" by Yassine Maleh et al.
4. Quantum Computing and Post-Quantum Cryptography: - To safeguard communication channels against future quantum attacks, post-quantum cryptography is crucial.
- Daniel J. Bernstein and Tanja Lange, "Post-Quantum Cryptography".
5. Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) Security: - Researching intrusion detection systems and resilience to cyber-physical attacks for critical infrastructures.
Houbing Song et al. edited "Cyber-Physical Systems: Foundations, Principles and Applications".
6. IoT Security in Critical Infrastructure: - Addressing IoT device integration security challenges, including data privacy, device integrity, and secure communication.
- "Securing the Internet of Things" by Shancang Li and Li Da Xu.
7. Human Factors and Cybersecurity Training: - Studying social engineering threats and creating effective training programmes for critical infrastructure staff.
- Source: Alex L. Chaparro, Barbara S. Chaparro, and Michael J. Tafoya edited "Human Factors in Cybersecurity: Methods, Research and Practise".
8. Incident Response and Disaster Recovery Planning: - Customising advanced strategies for CCCI needs.
Eric C. Thompson, "Cybersecurity Incident Response: How to Contain, Eradicate, and Recover from Incidents".
These study fields are essential for predicting and mitigating critical communication infrastructure cyberattacks. The suggested references provide theoretical and practical grounding for understanding and addressing these difficulties. They are available in academic libraries, cybersecurity periodicals, and professional cybersecurity organisations.
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