Book Image

Critical Infrastructure Security

By : Soledad Antelada Toledano
Book Image

Critical Infrastructure Security

By: Soledad Antelada Toledano

Overview of this book

Discover the core of cybersecurity through gripping real-world accounts of the most common assaults on critical infrastructure – the body of vital systems, networks, and assets so essential that their continued operation is required to ensure the security of a nation, its economy, and the public’s health and safety – with this guide to understanding cybersecurity principles. From an introduction to critical infrastructure and cybersecurity concepts to the most common types of attacks, this book takes you through the life cycle of a vulnerability and how to assess and manage it. You’ll study real-world cybersecurity breaches, each incident providing insights into the principles and practical lessons for cyber defenders striving to prevent future breaches. From DDoS to APTs, the book examines how each threat activates, operates, and succeeds. Additionally, you’ll analyze the risks posed by computational paradigms, such as the advancement of AI and quantum computing, to legacy infrastructure. By the end of this book, you’ll be able to identify key cybersecurity principles that can help mitigate evolving attacks to critical infrastructure.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
1
Part 1: Introduction to Critical Infrastructure and Cybersecurity Concepts
5
Part 2: Dissecting Cyberattacks on CI
8
Part 3: Protecting Critical Infrastructure
12
Part 4: What’s Next

SolarWinds attack (2020)

SolarWinds is an American company that develops software for businesses to help manage their networks, systems, and information technology infrastructure. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company offers a variety of products designed to help IT professionals monitor and manage the performance of their networks, servers, applications, databases, and other IT infrastructure components.

The SolarWinds cyberattack was one of the most sophisticated and wide-reaching supply chain attacks in history, primarily targeting U.S. government agencies and numerous companies around the world. This attack was attributed to Russian state-sponsored actors, according to U.S. intelligence agencies.

This is how it developed:

Technical Description

Initial compromise

Attackers gained access to the environment of SolarWinds.

The exact...