I saw a video on social media recently that posed the question of whether we are already fighting World War III; the video suggested that most people do not realize such a thing could be happening because the warfare has changed to different stratagems and battlegrounds than those used in the past. Instead of tanks, cyberattacks are rolled out. Instead of missiles, social media disinformation campaigns are launched.
While I don’t know whether or not that video validated the theory that World War III is already happening, I can say that utility security professionals have been fighting on these alternative battlefields for many years in what is a constant fight to preserve operations and resiliency in the face of foes who look to disrupt and destroy.
We all know about adversary nations like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea that have long been involved with cyberattacks, spying, disinformation campaigns and more against utility entities. And unfortunately, utilities now have threats stateside with domestic groups coordinating and launching attacks on their assets.
What’s worse is that the traditional warfare happening in Ukraine and Israel is a testing ground for modifying drones and other technology to destroy utility infrastructure in ways they previously have not been used, creating internet-housed how-to guides that create the threat of copycat attacks in the U.S.
The good news is that those on the frontlines who are fighting to protect utilities are up to the challenge – through their tremendous work ethic, planning, coordination, strategy and intelligence. In this issue, we talk with some of the leading minds in utility security, and throughout those interviews they share ideas, strategies and guidance about how to grow and evolve utility security in the face of new and increasing threats.
If you have any security insights to share with your peers that will help them become even better utility defenders, or if you would like to see a specific topic covered in a future issue, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly at connect@utilitysecurity.com. The more we work together, share solutions and learn from each other, the more ready we become for the threats of today and tomorrow.
