FireWatch Solutions’ Post

Yesterday, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report with recommendations to fortify the nation’s cyber-physical systems. Recommendations in this report include leveraging CISA and other federal and private stakeholders to drive innovative solutions and stimulating more public-private partnerships. We must continue to strengthen the security and resiliency of the cyber-physical systems that underpin our Nation’s critical infrastructure and fortify the Nation’s critical infrastructure. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g_vUB9j6

Secure by default is essential when I purchase equipment and software. Partnering with industry to boost resilience of our critical infrastructure. Mapping out that critical infrastructure and making it a priority. Let's just make Colonial Pipeline the canary in the coal mine. It's nearly impossible to prevent every compromise, detection and containment should be of the highest priority. Our adversaries know our networks better than we do. Recommending Rust over C and C++ in an attempt to eliminate buffer overflow attacks. TLDR; let's make sure that our adversaries can't turn off the lights on us and how to get it done.

What is needed is a fundamental shift in approach—a move beyond digital security to genuine resilience.

🚨 What Happens When U.S. Critical Infrastructure Faces a Cyberattack? 🚨 Imagine a scenario where our most essential systems are targeted by cybercriminals. How quickly would chaos unfold? How would it impact your water, electricity, or safety? At Astute®️ we’ve constructed a detailed simulation of a cyberattack on U.S. infrastructure, breaking down the events hour by hour. The results are a wake-up call for all of us. 🕒 From Initial Breach to Total Chaos: Discover how a cyberattack can escalate from a minor disruption to a complete societal breakdown in less than 24 hours. This simulation isn’t just a hypothetical—it’s a preview of what could happen if we’re not prepared. Click the link to understand the critical timelines and why robust cybersecurity is not optional—it’s essential. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eANbVtPq Join Astute in safeguarding our critical infrastructure. Because knowing ‘what if’ is the first step in making sure it never happens. #CyberSecurity #CriticalInfrastructure #Resilience #Astute

Missed our latest #CyberScholar series on critical #infrastructure? Don’t worry! You can catch up on the topic of #cyber and physical systems that make up our operational technology (#OT) and underpin our critical infrastructure with Justin Leiden, Director of Operational Technology Engineering & Cybersecurity at the Texas A&M University Cybersecurity Center. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/e3N8Uiwp #CriticalInfrastructure

From the The Australian Financial Review / Financial Times article below which contains sage advice in relation to how companies think about #disasterrecovery: ‘The more practical response should be to ensure companies build redundancy and resilience into their internal processes and systems. Every company needs to revisit their disaster recovery plans and ensure they can return to business as usual as quickly as possible by whatever means.’ I personally could not agree any more. On the topic of #resilience, #redundancy and #faulttolerance, many years ago, I used to design and deploy core IT networks. I recall a specific instance where I was asked to design a network for a mission critical system. Given its nature, I designed a fault tolerant network where each component had redundant power supplies as well as redundant crosslinks to other components. To add to that, I made sure the data centre these switches were deployed in had both dual power feeds as well as dual broadband connections in using different telcos. I had engineered enough capacity into this network so that if any single component did fail, IT could easily patch terminals connected into that faulty component into another switch, minimising downtime for the small number of machines impacted. Short of a major catastrophe such as a fire, flood or earthquake, this network would be up and running 24x7x365. All of this sounded fine and dandy to the client right up until I presented to them the bill of materials…… For businesses that are now considering the concepts of #redundancy and #faulttolerance into your IT environments, note that this comes at a cost not just of the equipment, but also in terms of services and support required to maintain resilience. However….that cost provides good insurance against events such as those seen over the past few days. https://lnkd.in/gm5MdEzS

The SANS Institute has unveiled a critical security operations training program aimed at equipping professionals with the skills needed to combat today's most sophisticated cyber threats. This new initiative focuses on real-world scenarios and advanced techniques to enhance incident response capabilities. As cyber threats continue to adapt, having access to this kind of specialized training is essential for cybersecurity teams to protect their organizations effectively. #Cybersecurity #Training #IncidentResponse #SANSInstitute

Stay informed about the latest global IT outage trends by checking out our recent blog post. Learn about the historical context and key takeaways to help your organization prepare for potential disruptions. #ITOutage #EdgioBlog

Great perspective on the OT/ICS landsacpe by Ross Haleliuk. I used to run security for a massive logisics network, which, now come to think of it, can be a type of OT/ICS.

GLOBAL IT OUTAGE – BUSINESSES, AIRPORTS, EMERGENCY SERVICES, AND STOCK EXCHANGE ALL AFFECTED Today’s major global IT outage highlights how dependent the world has become on continuous, resilient, secure, and uninterrupted connectivity. Albeit today’s outage is software related it highlights that IT outages are inevitable. At some point, your asset’s infrastructure will suffer an outage of some sort, deeming you, your occupiers and your asset vulnerable. ❓Are you and your asset prepared for such a situation ❓Do you and your asset have the necessary internal or external expertise to manage an IT crisis when it occurs. Do you have a Plan B? ❓Have you thought about a fully connected plan Fortunately, every Node Enabled Asset comes equipped with: ✅ Unmatched resilience through diverse providers, optimized connectivity, and robust infrastructure routing within your asset ✅ Enhanced security to protect against both accidental and intentional damage ✅ Wireless interconnection points for alternative fiber connectivity, providing an additional layer of resilience ✅ A dedicated, professional, and qualified team integrated with your internal teams to provide comprehensive technical assistance to your asset and its occupiers https://lnkd.in/ejRXMsEq