Under attack: electrical grids, telecom and transportation
By Peter Wolchak
April 1, 2010
April 1, 2010
Online criminals are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure systems, according to a report McAfee presented at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January. Electrical grids, oil and gas production facilities, and telecommunications and transportation networks are drawing special attention, according to a survey of 600 IT executives from infrastructure enterprises worldwide. More than half have already suffered large scale attacks or infiltrations from organized crime gangs, terrorists or nation-states, McAfee reported. It puts the estimated cost of downtime of a major incident at US$6.3 million per day.
The report, authored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, also found that a third of IT executives said the vulnerability of their sector increased over the past 12 months, and 40 per cent expect a major security incident in their sector within the next year.
“In today’s economic climate, it is imperative that organizations prepare for the instability that cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure can cause,” said Dave DeWalt, president and chief executive officer of McAfee. “An attack on any of these industries could cause widespread economic disruptions, environmental disasters, loss of property and even loss of life.”
Also interesting, 60 per cent of those surveyed believe representatives of foreign governments have been involved in past infrastructure infiltrations. In terms of countries that posed the biggest threat to critical infrastructure security, the United States (36 per cent) and China (33 per cent) topped the list.
More information on the report, titled In the Crossfire: Critical Infrastructure in the Age of Cyberwar, is available at http://bit.ly/d1H3Xq.
The report, authored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, also found that a third of IT executives said the vulnerability of their sector increased over the past 12 months, and 40 per cent expect a major security incident in their sector within the next year.
“In today’s economic climate, it is imperative that organizations prepare for the instability that cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure can cause,” said Dave DeWalt, president and chief executive officer of McAfee. “An attack on any of these industries could cause widespread economic disruptions, environmental disasters, loss of property and even loss of life.”
Also interesting, 60 per cent of those surveyed believe representatives of foreign governments have been involved in past infrastructure infiltrations. In terms of countries that posed the biggest threat to critical infrastructure security, the United States (36 per cent) and China (33 per cent) topped the list.
More information on the report, titled In the Crossfire: Critical Infrastructure in the Age of Cyberwar, is available at http://bit.ly/d1H3Xq.
