| Cybersecurity
their cybersecurity posture and reduce their system’s vulnerability to this type of targeting.” The recommendations in the factsheet entitled, Defending OT Operations Against Ongoing Pro- Russia Hacktivist Activity, included hardening human machine interfaces, limiting exposure of OT systems to the internet, using strong and unique passwords, and implementing multifactor authentication for all access to the OT network.
Cybersurvey In today’s advanced and complex threat landscape,
cybersecurity is increasingly becoming a cornerstone of many organisations’ growth strategies and business plans, according to the fourth edition of Deloitte’s Global Future of Cyber Survey. Released in October 2024, the company’s largest
cyber-related survey to date shows how decision- makers are shifting their responses to threats. Among other strategies, businesses are increasing the responsibility and strategic influence assigned to chief information security officers (CISOs), promoting further involvement on cybersecurity-related matters, and turning to measures like artificial intelligence (AI). With the threat landscape evolving, as reported
threats related to data-loss impacted 28% of organisations last year – up by 14% on 2023, 57% of respondents anticipate increasing their budget for cybersecurity over the next two years. “The rise of AI and other evolving technologies has significantly transformed the threat landscape. As threats become more sophisticated and impactful to core business, CISOs are increasingly required to adopt a more strategic role driving cross business risk prioritisation and mitigation,” said Emily Mossburg, Deloitte Global Cyber Leader. “The close relationship between CISOs and CEOs is a testament to the role security plays in a business’s long-term success. Today, CISOs are not only protectors against outside threats, but key players helping their organisation find success by integrating cyber considerations in the strategic decision-making process.”
SCADA scares Olginate dam in Italy has been used to demonstrate
the effectiveness of possible strategies to protect
against cyber attacks on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. As SCADA systems are often linked to critical infrastructure such as power grids and dams, they’re often targeted in cyber-warfare due to the social and economic damage that could be inflicted on a national and international scale. In recent years, such attacks on SCADA systems have soared. SCADAs are no longer isolated, and as web-based applications expose strategic infrastructure to the outside world, so that avoiding attack is described as being almost impossible. However recent research has focused on developing a model predictive control (MPC) architecture capable of mitigating the impact of attacks on the communication between the controller and actuator. The proposed MPC strategy’s effectiveness was demonstrated in two attack scenarios on a real system with actual data from the Olginate dam.
Blockchain technology The use of blockchain technology in dam
infrastructure management is described as offering a possible solution to the problem of enhancing the cyber security and monitoring of dams. It’s described as being a decentralised and tamper-resistant platform for storing and managing data. Blockchain technology provides a transparent and immutable record of all transactions and data related to the operation of gates, water levels, and other important parameters. Its decentralised property ensures that data is distributed across a network of nodes, reducing the risk of a single point of failure or unauthorised access. The tamper-resistant property of blockchain ensures the integrity of data generated by sensors and monitoring systems. This feature is important in relation to intentional data manipulations that could compromise the reliability of water level readings. Recent research undertaken by Peng et al in Taiwan has demonstrated such possible benefits of integrating dam infrastructure management with blockchain technology. It’s described as not only being an integration of enhanced security and monitoring, it also shows the possibilities for resilient and efficient operations.
References
Model Predictive Control with adaptive resilience for Denial- of-Service Attacks mitigation on a Regulated Dam. Raffaele G. Cestari , Stefano Longari, Stefano Zanero, Simone Formentin arXiv:2402.18516.
https://doi.org/10.48550/ arXiv.2402.18516
Enhancing Dam Security and Water Level Alerting with Blockchain Technology by YingCheng Wu, Jung-Shian Li, Chu-Fen Li, I-Hsien Liu. CAROB2024, J:COM Horuto Hall, Oita, Japan, 2024
Left: Blockchain technology in dam infrastructure management offers a possible solution to the problem of enhancing cyber security
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