![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/agcomtech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Security-August-2021-Ad-8.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\tWhy Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Are Dangerous<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCritical Infrastructure (CI) comprises physical and cyber assets vital for the smooth functioning of societies and nations across the globe. The sectors that make up critical infrastructure differ from one country to another. For example, the USA considers 16 sectors to be vital as opposed to 13 in the UK. The disruption or damage of CI can have severe direct and indirect effects.<\/p>
So far, cybercriminals seeking crypto payouts were propagators of attacks on critical infrastructure. But what happens if a threat actor has plans beyond a quick payday?<\/strong> What if an <\/strong>attack creates chaos by eliminating critical infrastructure to harm a region or country? <\/strong><\/p>Attacks on CI could eventually devastate the livelihoods of millions of people and even bankrupt companies. Experts listed cyberattacks on CI as a top concern in 2020, and this trend is estimated to persist into and beyond 2021.1 <\/sup>In the interest of national and global security, CI facilities must take proper measures to prevent threat actors from accessing their networks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAttacks Are Widespread<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAttacks on CI are becoming increasingly common topics of discussion on news channels as highly publicized cases, such as the ones mentioned below, rattle businesses and communities. It\u2019s a scary situation and emphasizes how prepared you should be.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t1.\tColonial Pipeline<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn May 2021, the mammoth pipeline system for refined oil in the U.S. \u2014 Colonial Pipeline \u2014 was hit by a cyberattack that stemmed from a single compromised credential. The result? Colonial Pipeline\u2019s gasoline distribution to the East Coast was shut down for nearly a week.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t2.\tJBS SA<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe largest meat processing company in the world, JBS SA, fell victim to a cyberattack a few weeks after the Colonial Pipeline breach. The attack forced the company to halt production at its U.S. beef plants while operations in Australia and Canada were also hit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t3.\tThe Health Service Executive (HSE) Hack<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe HSE (Ireland) had to temporarily shut down its IT systems following a cyberattack. What makes this CI attack so disturbing is that it happened during the pandemic when health systems were buckling.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOther well-known cases include the attacks on NSW\u2019s State Transit Authority (Australia), Israel\u2019s Water Authority, and Air India.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tKnow the Threat Actors<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTo avoid the unpleasant experience of a CI attack, here are some major threats to prevent:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Critical Infrastructure (CI) comprises physical and cyber assets vital for the smooth functioning of societies and nations across the globe. The sectors that make up critical infrastructure differ from one country to another. For example, the USA considers 16 sectors to be vital as opposed to 13 in the UK. The disruption or damage of CI can have severe direct and indirect effects.<\/p>
So far, cybercriminals seeking crypto payouts were propagators of attacks on critical infrastructure. But what happens if a threat actor has plans beyond a quick payday?<\/strong> What if an <\/strong>attack creates chaos by eliminating critical infrastructure to harm a region or country? <\/strong><\/p> Attacks on CI could eventually devastate the livelihoods of millions of people and even bankrupt companies. Experts listed cyberattacks on CI as a top concern in 2020, and this trend is estimated to persist into and beyond 2021.1 <\/sup>In the interest of national and global security, CI facilities must take proper measures to prevent threat actors from accessing their networks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Attacks on CI are becoming increasingly common topics of discussion on news channels as highly publicized cases, such as the ones mentioned below, rattle businesses and communities. It\u2019s a scary situation and emphasizes how prepared you should be.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t In May 2021, the mammoth pipeline system for refined oil in the U.S. \u2014 Colonial Pipeline \u2014 was hit by a cyberattack that stemmed from a single compromised credential. The result? Colonial Pipeline\u2019s gasoline distribution to the East Coast was shut down for nearly a week.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t The largest meat processing company in the world, JBS SA, fell victim to a cyberattack a few weeks after the Colonial Pipeline breach. The attack forced the company to halt production at its U.S. beef plants while operations in Australia and Canada were also hit.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t The HSE (Ireland) had to temporarily shut down its IT systems following a cyberattack. What makes this CI attack so disturbing is that it happened during the pandemic when health systems were buckling.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Other well-known cases include the attacks on NSW\u2019s State Transit Authority (Australia), Israel\u2019s Water Authority, and Air India.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t To avoid the unpleasant experience of a CI attack, here are some major threats to prevent:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\tAttacks Are Widespread<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
1.\tColonial Pipeline<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
2.\tJBS SA<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
3.\tThe Health Service Executive (HSE) Hack<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Know the Threat Actors<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t