Just over a year ago, the White House issued its long-awaited National Cybersecurity Strategy,1 with an emphasis on defending Critical Infrastructure,2 promoting public and private collaboration,3 and safeguarding the availability of sixteen sectors whose assets, systems, and networks are deemed critical to national security, and public health or safety.
For the cybersecurity threat landscape, a year can seem like an eternity. In January, this was hammered home when appearing before a House subcommittee, the FBI Director warned that China was ramping up an extensive hacking operation designed to take down the United States’ power gird, oil pipelines, and water systems:4
Low blows against civilians are part of China’s plan. China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike.
Russia has been ramping up too. A 44-page report published this week by cybersecurity firm Mandiant,5 describes how a group calling itself CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn hacked into “multiple local U.S. water infrastructure systems.” Two of these…
