The role of intelligent security in safeguarding critical infrastructure, according to Greg Colaluca, CEO, Intellicene.

The threats to critical infrastructure

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency outlines 16 essential sectors that comprise critical infrastructure market in the US, including energy, transport, water, food, communication and healthcare.

These sectors form the foundation of our modern society, supporting everything from food production to emergency services.

As we all can attest, we as a community rely heavily on critical infrastructure for essential resources and services such as clean water, electricity, oil and gas, and more.

Any disruption to these systems can cause widespread issues, affecting the personal well-being of citizens and national security.

Protecting these facilities from threats is critical to maintaining the continuous operation of services people rely on daily.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), cybersecurity threats to the country’s critical infrastructure facilities are one of the top risks facing the public for their ability to threaten our national security, economic prosperity and public health and safety.

Due to the essential nature of these facilities, online attackers have targeted the country’s energy, nuclear, water, travel and critical manufacturing sectors to halt crucial services that the public relies on.

In addition to cyber-attacks, physical threats remain a significant risk to critical infrastructure facilities to damage or steal the resources that facilities need to remain operational.

According to a report from the Department of Energy, security threats to public power utilities increased by 70% in 2022.

Considering the current risk landscape, modern security solutions are vital to maintaining the world as it runs daily.

To address and mitigate security risks, utilities must maintain a modernized infrastructure that ensures the continued production of essential services with the mitigation of risk in mind. But where to start?

Modern risks, modern solutions

Since these facilities were constructed, our country has advanced and grown, yet their technology investments have, at times, lagged behind.

Why? Budgets can be a challenge. Consider this: it was proposed earlier this year that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would receive $34 million less in fiscal year (FY) 2024 than in FY 2023.

Cutting funds to these programs can increase vulnerability, particularly when they impact security investments.

But at the same time, risks have become more complex and diverse.

How can organizations balance the need for modernization with budgetary constraints? The answer may lie in leveraging current investment and infrastructure to build a modern security solution.

Intelligent security operations are crucial for maintaining the functionality and security of critical infrastructure.

Like many in this field, you’ve likely examined previous siloed technology investments and asked the important question: How can we integrate it all?

The good news is that today’s software platforms can do just that – bring everything together while providing the data needed for more impactful operations.

One of the most effective ways to improve security is by integrating various systems – such as video surveillance, access control, building control systems and security and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors – into a centralized platform.

This approach combines and correlates data from multiple sources into one UI, allowing you to see all the information you need in a single system on a single screen.

Security teams are empowered to collect, analyze and act on data from multiple sources rather than make decisions based on data from a single system or manually combining data from various sources.

Once combined, information can then be analyzed to detect suspicious patterns, allowing operators to predict potential incidents before they occur.

Why is this path forward ideal? Individual systems and devices generate a vast amount of data and finding what you need in a world of siloes and vast amounts of information is difficult.

However, when data streams are combined into one platform, security personnel can oversee security with newfound efficiency.

Simplifying how they access and analyze data – now available in one place – effectively boosts situational awareness, eliminating the need to view a separate interface for each system.

For example, an anomaly in access control logs could signal an unauthorized entry attempt, while data from environmental sensors might indicate equipment tampering.

Separately, these events seem like two different problems, but when correlated together, they might be more intertwined.

Additionally, the ability to integrate existing investments, new technologies and even future innovations paves the way for a future-proof solution that maximizes what you have now while offering ease of expansion through integration into the future.

You can then maximize your budgets accordingly.

Prevent, don’t react

For high-stakes sectors like critical infrastructure, the best way to protect against potential security threats is to take steps to mitigate them beforehand.

Reactive approaches often lead to delayed responses, increasing the chances of disruptions and, as a result, downtime.

A proactive strategy ensures your security team can continuously monitor suspicious activities, assess vulnerabilities and implement preventive actions, ensuring that risks are managed effectively and operations remain uninterrupted.

To accomplish this, you should consider integrating solutions that place intelligence at the center of operations.

The result? Faster and more correlated data collection and analysis, faster situation management and response, and stronger forensic investigations.

As the public continues to rely on critical infrastructure for essential services, proactively protecting these facilities is more important than ever.

For security professionals safeguarding the institutions that make up the country’s backbone, the goal is to ensure essential services like healthcare, transportation and water can remain uninterrupted by leveraging intelligence and unifying the flow of data to improve situational awareness.

Integration-centric platforms show a clear path forward.

By investing in intelligent security operations, organizations can protect critical infrastructure while maximizing current resources and positioning themselves for future advancements, ensuring continuous operations and minimizing risks.

This article was originally published in the December edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.