Critical Infrastructure

A major IT outage is often dismissed as an unlikely event—something that simply "isn't going to happen" or "won't occur on such a scale." However, the recent massive outage caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update has proven otherwise, echoing the unpreparedness witnessed during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This incident, which grounded flights, cancelled hospital appointments, and disrupted banking systems worldwide, serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of our digital infrastructure. Although it only affected about 1% of Windows computers, its impact was global, illustrating that not all significant IT disruptions need to be cybercrime-induced to cause widespread chaos. But amidst the chaos, there's a critical opportunity: to leverage such disasters to raise awareness about the importance of robust Business Continuity Management (BCM). Even if your organisation wasn't directly impacted, there's immense value in learning from these events. Observing and understanding the failures of [...]

I was researching cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, when I stumbled across an article about a cyberattack in Ireland in December last year that led to a two-day water supply outage, affecting 180 people. This incident highlights the vulnerability of our critical infrastructure to cyber threats and got me thinking... imagine the repercussions if such an event occurred on a larger scale. The potential disruption could be catastrophic, impacting thousands or even millions of people. Personal resilience through stockpiling In the UK, the recommendation is to stockpile food and water for just three days, with a minimum of 2-3 litres water per person per day. For optimal comfort and hygiene, 10 litres per day is suggested, as water is essential not just for drinking but also for cooking and sanitation. Conversely, in Germany, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) advises citizens to stockpile food and [...]