Critical infrastructure cyber-targets: When essential services are attacked

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• April 23, 2023

Critical infrastructure has increasingly become a prime target for criminal and government-sponsored cyberattacks due to the potential widespread impact successful attacks can have on a society or target industry. Loss of electricity, water, and online connectivity can result in chaos as businesses are shut down, and people lose access to essential public services. As the world becomes overly reliant on online services, critical infrastructure providers must ensure that their systems are secure enough to withstand increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

Critical infrastructure targets context

A critical infrastructure assault occurs when hackers invade these systems to cripple or shut down operations. Client data and other sensitive information are almost always stolen and traded for ransom. One of the most high-profile cases occurred in December 2015, when Russian malicious agents disabled parts of the Ukrainian power grid. This incident caused a blackout in parts of the country that lasted several hours. Another example is the attack on tax preparation software NotPetya in June 2017, which affected organizations worldwide, including banks, newspapers, and even radiation monitoring systems at Chernobyl. The 2022 war waged by Russia against Ukraine resulted in government websites being disabled and increasing concerns over industrial control systems.

Energy production and distribution, water and waste management, healthcare, and food production are all examples of essential industries and systems that businesses and everyday citizens depend on for the normal operation of modern societies. They are also linked together, with an attack on one essential service directly impacting others. For instance, when natural disasters and cyberattacks disable water and wastewater systems, entire regions may lose access to safe drinking water. In addition, hospitals would struggle to function; fire hoses would not work; and schools, offices, factories, and government buildings would be impacted. Similar disruptions to other critical infrastructure sectors, such as the energy sector, have similar domino effects.

Disruptive impact

Recent examples of critical infrastructure cyberattacks are worryingly becoming more potent. The threats multiplied when the pandemic forced companies to migrate to online, cloud-based services. In May 2021, a ransomware assault on Colonial Pipeline caused production to stop for six days, resulting in fuel shortages and high prices in the eastern US. In June 2021, one of the world’s major meat producers, JBS USA Holdings, Inc., was also hit by a ransomware attack, which caused havoc in Canada, the US, and Australia’s production chains. At the same time, the Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was hit by a similar assault that resulted in ferry disruptions and delays.

Many factors make critical infrastructure vulnerable to cyber attacks. First, these systems are extremely complex, with a growing number of devices and connections. Second, they often involve a mix of insecure, outdated legacy systems and new technologies. These new technologies can be connected and used in insecure ways that the original designers of the legacy platforms could not have imagined. Third, many people who may not know the security risks associated with their job often operate critical infrastructure. Finally, these systems are often difficult to understand and analyze, making it challenging to identify weak spots that attackers could exploit. Critical infrastructure needs better tools and approaches for identifying potential security issues and informing mitigation efforts when designing essential systems. 

Wider implications of critical infrastructure targets

Possible implications of critical infrastructure targets may include: 

• Critical infrastructure providers investing more heavily in cybersecurity solutions and using remote kill switches during emergencies to defend against cyberattacks.


• Hackers and foreign governments shifting more resources into studying critical infrastructure systems and locating outdated technologies as entry points.


• Firms and government agencies increasingly using ethical hackers and bug bounty programs to identify vulnerabilities in their diverse infrastructure networks.


• Governments mandating government agencies and private firms responsible for critical infrastructure stay updated with the latest cybersecurity measures, including providing detailed backup and resiliency plans. Some governments may increasingly subsidize cybersecurity investments in key industries.


• Increasing instances of blackouts, water disruption, and Internet connection downtimes caused by state-sponsored physical and cyber attacks.

Questions to consider

• How else can governments better prepare for critical infrastructure attacks?


• If you have smart appliances or smart home equipment, how do you ensure that their systems are secure?