Cyber Attacks; Protecting National Infrastructure

Introduction

Cyber attack is the process of undermining the purpose of a computer-based system or the process of destroying or tracing movements of people online without permission. Undetected cyber attacks may lead to many distractions to both the user and the computer manager. However, due to these cyber attacks, there are effective developments that are being put in place to ensure that national infrastructures are under proper protection. National infrastructures are recognized as the supporting and delivering systems for all services that are assumed important to the nation. For instance, according to Amoroso 2011, support services in the military sector, networks that are under the control of “power, entertainment systems, and in telecommunication sector” (p.1).

National Cyber Threats, Vulnerability and attacks

According to the author, “national infrastructure refers to the complex, underlying delivery and support systems for all large-scale services considered absolutely essential for a nation (Amoroso, 2011, pp 1). The author illustrates that cyberspace contains huge number of interconnected computers, servers, routers, switches and fiber optic cables (Amoroso, 2011, p. 5) that permit the important national infrastructures to perform well. Therefore, when cyberspace is functioning effectively, then the economy and security of the nation is protected. According to studies, there is national strategy that aims at securing cyberspace as a way of protecting the nation and its infrastructures. This strategy is very important in ensuring that there is reduction of the national’s vulnerability to terrorism against important information infrastructures or other assets that provide them with support.

In the previous years, there have been malicious people carrying out attacks on the national’s most important information infrastructures. These attacks have been exceeded due to the availability of equipments and methods that are used in causing cyber threats nationwide. People have advanced in their knowledge and skills in technology thus; they find it easier to perform such malicious acts of attacking the cyber thus interfering with the communication infrastructure of the nation. Apart from the advanced technology, cyber threats may be because of a crisis or may be because of war.

National cyber threats are most likely to cause serious negative impacts like destroying the most vital operations, reducing national revenue, destroying property, and even it may result into deaths of individuals. Therefore, to overcome such threats and destructions, the nation needs to develop strategies and put mitigation measures that can help in preventing such acts hence, protecting the national infrastructures. It is also advisable that all nations that depend 100 percent on the system of networked computers take precaution by identifying and putting in place remedies concerning their vulnerabilities in advance. They should not wait to be attacked or be threatened to take a step in protecting national infrastructure.

The nation should ensure that they continue with the assessment and remediation processes concerning vulnerabilities. The leakage of confidential information should be equally given enough protection. The viruses destroying vital operations of some applications, critical systems being attacked by cyber terrorism and theft of system identities should be as well given equal protection. Existence of the national cyber threats should be seen as important depending on the nature of the threat and its effect on the national infrastructure. Dealing with cyber threats and eliminating vulnerability is very difficult due to the large number of different users. The security accorded to cyber protection needs cooperation of individuals and organization from various national levels since, many different devices are interconnected by a network of networks. It is entirely appropriate for a recognized authority to make a detailed public vulnerability advisory if the benefits of notifying the good people outweigh the risks of alerting the bad people (Amoroso, 2011, p. 6).

Due to the development in the technological field today, the internet is in the midst of network troubles. This is because national cyber threats are easier to initiate while the hackers are even easier to create exploitations of the new vulnerability (Amoroso, 2011, p. 9). This virus device can attack a good number of computer machines in the shortest time possible. This is because they are difficult to be noticed as they are ever changing in nature. They do this by establishing their actions so that they can replace the common security defense available. The attack caused by national cyber terrorism is worse because it tends to spread across political, geographical as well as beyond service provider boundaries.

The most challenging situation is the personal computers used in homes especially laptops, which are administered in a very disorderly manner. After purchasing a laptop, the owner has full responsibility in ensuring that it is protected by installing antivirus, intrusion detections, and ensuring that the firewall is kept well. Machines that are not well maintained with the above protectors are bound encounter cyber terrorism. However, this threats are most likely to attack a computer machine despite the fact that it well maintained and protected. Therefore, it is advisable that any security provided in the cyber is able to recognize the new threat caused by cyber terrorism.

National cyber threats and vulnerability attacks can be addressed depending on different levels such as small business or home users. The home users are the most suspected machines that can be used in attacking the critical national infrastructures. This is particularly the unprotected home computers are very vulnerable to the attackers that establish the use of those machines without the knowledge of the owner. In this case according to Amoroso (2011, p. 6), the potential also exists for an external adversary to gain valuable insider access through patient, measured means.

Another level of the problems of cyber security includes the large-scale enterprises. These major places are targeted by the attackers, yet they are the most important parts of the national infrastructures. Enterprises need to demonstrate active data security policies that help in audit compliance with cyber security practices. Therefore, this illustrates that networks are at a great risk of malicious people targeting it for information and the power they have.

In today’s world, new sources of vulnerability are established and recovered most often. This implies that, the government should also ensure that the processes of creating security networks do not stop. Installation of network security devices in computer machines is not enough for maintaining and keeping a network defense up to date. Therefore, a well planned for security vulnerabilities is through proper mitigation of security practices. This requires updating virus devices, operating them as required and maintaining them with the current changes.

Generally, the government is in better position to respond to the ever-occurring threats concerning the cyberspace and the national infrastructure. For instance, the government is supposed to provide enough security for its own cyber infrastructures. In order to achieve this goal, both the private and public sectors should integrate so that they can coordinate and confront cyber threats problems. Through this integration, they can promote information exchange and cooperation, address awareness, training improvements in technology, remediation of vulnerability and develop recovery operations within the country. According to the author, “many government authorities continue to consider new rules for mandatory reporting, if the information being demanded is not properly protected, and then the reporting process might result in more harm than good.” (Amoroso, 2011, p.6). Lack of awareness posses great risks to vital infrastructures and makes the task of solving cyber vulnerability extremely difficult.

Research shows that vulnerability is caused by technological weaknesses occurring from poor implementation and oversight of technological products. Therefore, to reduce these threats and vulnerabilities, the government should establish an approach that can be used in assessing vulnerability so that the effects of the threats are well understood by both the users and provides of the network services. Amoroso writes that” a seemingly obvious approach to dealing with this national cyber threat would involve the use of well-known computer security techniques, since all computer security has matured substantially in the past couple of decades” (Amoroso, 2011, pp.2). The internet mechanisms should be secured through making enhancements in protocols and routing, and making improvements in the physical security of cyber systems and telecommunications as a whole.

Conclusion

There have been advancements in knowledge and skills in technology that have led to malicious actions to cyberspace. This causes interference in the communication infrastructure of the society. The security accorded to cyber protection needs cooperation at both individual and organizational levels from various national bodies since many different devices are interconnected by a network of public networks. National cyber threats leads to serious effects such as reducing national revenue, destroying property, and even causing deaths. Therefore, to overcome such threats and devastation, the nation needs to develop mitigation measures that can help in preventing cyber crime.

Furthermore, the government should ensure that the processes of creating security networks do not stop because installation of network security applications in computers is not enough for keeping a network’s defense up to date. Therefore, it is good to make plans for security vulnerabilities through proper mitigation of security practices. This means that the government should ensure that there are frequently updated antivirus devices, operating them as required and maintaining them with the current changes to avoid encountering these problems. Both the private and public sectors need to integrate so that they can coordinate and confront cyber threats. Through this integration, they can promote information exchange and cooperation, address awareness, and invent training programs that can inform citizens about cyberspace and any potential problems.

References

Amoroso, G. E. (2011). Cyber Attacks: Protecting National Infrastructure. Birmingham, AL: Butterworth-Heinemann.